£ibrar;!i>  of  Che  theological  ^eminar^ 

PRINCETON  • NEW  JERSEY 

FROM  THE  LIBRARY  OF  THE 

REVEREND  JOHN  ALEXANDER  MACKAY 
LITT.D.,  D.D.,  LL.D.,  L.H.D. 

F 1611  .J82  1922 
Jordan,  William  F. 

Crusading  in  the  West  Indies 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 
in  2016 


https://archive.org/details/crusadinginwesti00jord_0 


Crusading  in  The  West  Indies 


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THE  LATE  DR.  MILTOX  CiREEXE  AND  THE  WRITER  OX  ROAD  TO  ESI>ERANZA.  DR.  GREENE  OCCU- 
PIES REAR  SEAT.  THE  AUTHOR  HAS  REMOVED  HIS  HAT. 


Crusading  in  The  West  Indies 


Secretary  Upper  Andes  Agency  of  the 
American  Bible  Society 


ILLUSrRATED 

With  Introduction  by 
W.  I.  HAVEN,  D.  D. 


Fleming  H.  Revell  Company 


W.  F.  JORDAN 


New  York 


Chicago 


London 


Edinburgh 


AND 


Copyright,  1922,  by 

FLEMING  H.  REVELL  COMPANY 


Printed  in  the  United  States  of  America 


New  York:  158  Fifth  Avenue 

Chicago:  17  North  Wabash  Ave. 
London : 2 1 Paternoster  Square 
Edinburgh : 75  Princes  Street 


Introduction 

William  I.  Haven,  D.  D.,  LL.D. 

General  Secretary  American  Bible  Society. 

The  glory  of  the  American  Bible  Society 
as  that  of  all  Mission  Boards  is  due  not 
only  to  the  noble  impulses  arising  in  the 
hearts  of  earnest  believers  who  consecrate  their 
time  and  gifts  in  the  homeland,  but  even  more  to 
those  loyal  spirits  who  are  moved  to  give  them- 
selves to  daily  and  yearly  service  in  the  harvest 
fields  both  at  home  and  abroad.  Apostolic  honours 
belong  not  to  those  who  govern  but  to  those  who 
go  if  the  content  of  the  term  ‘‘Apostle  ’’  is  to  have 
its  significant  application.  Whoever  is  “ in  jour- 
neyings  often,  in  perils  of  waters  ...  in  perils 
in  the  city,  in  perils  in  the  wilderness  ...  in 
weariness  and  painfulness,”  is  the  true  apostle  if 
his  labour  is  in  the  name  of  the  Master. 

I am  greatly  privileged  in  being  allowed  to  in- 
troduce to  the  general  reader  this  volume  record- 
ing surely  apostolic  labours.  Rev.  W.  F.  Jordan, 
a Canadian,  but  for  some  years  a naturalized  citi- 
zen of  the  United  States,  at  one  time  briefly  in 
India  in  missionary  service,  was  led  to  give  himself 
to  the  primary  missionary  task  of  circulating  the 
Scriptures  among  the  people  of  the  near-by  West 
Indian  Islands,  and  step  by  step  he  has  been  led  to 
undertake  superintendence  of  this  work  of  Bible 
distribution  throughout  all  of  what  is  commonly 

5 


6 


IKTRODUCTION 


called  Latin  America  with  the  exception  of  Chile, 
the  Argentine  and  Brazil.  For  fourteen  years  he 
has  travelled  incessantly  throughout  these  Repub- 
lics, the  next-door  neighbours  of  the  American 
Republic.  He  knows  their  life.  He  knows  their 
spirit.  He  knows  their  needs  as  few  men.  He 
has  discovered  as  one  of  the  great  bishops  of  India 
discovered  in  a home  visit,  that  the  work  among 
these  peoples  is  very  similar  to  that  in  the  great 
mission  fields  of  Southern  Asia. 

At  this  hour  when  the  Christian  Church  in 
America  is  feeling  itself  debtor  to  these  Southern 
Republics,  this  volume  of  Mr.  Jordan’s  is  particu- 
larly timely.  It  graphically  portrays  the  beautiful 
tropical  scener\%  the  degradation  of  the  poor,  the 
luxury  and  comfort  of  the  rich,  the  courtesy  and 
kindliness  of  all  the  people,  the  hopefulness  of 
service  with  a world  of  detail  not  surpassed  by  the 
famous  author  of  “ Vagabonding  Do^vn  the 
Andes.”  Mrs.  Jordan,  a woman  of  training,  de- 
voted to  her  husband’s  work,  has  shared  with  him 
not  only  many  of  these  journeys  and  deprivations 
which  are  harder  for  the  mother  and  children  often 
than  for  the  traveller,  but  has  made  them  possible 
by  caring  for  the  home  and  bearing  the  loneliness 
of  the  months  of  her  husband’s  absence.  While  her 
pen  has  not  been  busy  in  this  volume  her  obser\^a- 
tions  and  her  reflections  are  a part  of  the  story. 

We  cordially  commend  this  most  interesting 
story  of  “ Crusading  in  the  West  Indies.” 


Contents 


Foreword  

Closer  relationships  with  Latin  America  desirable 
— Sympathetic  understanding  important — Cour- 
tesy of  the  people — Field  for  good  literature — 
Some  causes  of  difference  in  progress — Our  duty 
to  take  them  the  Book — American  Bible  Society 
— Personal  appreciation. 


Cuba 

First  call  at  Bible  House,  New  York — Voyage  to 
Cuba  — Arrival  — Havana ; landing ; coaches ; 
streets;  display  of  wealth  — Impressions  of 
gaiety — Open  air  life — Some  customs ; courtship 
— Business  establishments  Spanish  ; office  hold- 
ers, Cuban — White  building  stone — Clubs — 
Pleasure-loving  people. 

Cuba  {Continued)  . . . . 

Duties  of  Agency  Secretary — Trip  to  Santa  Clara 
— Confusion  at  railroad  station — Missionaries 
and  cheap  transportation — Royal  palm— Other 
palms — Cuban  breakfast ; bread  ; coffee — Other 
meals  ; soup  ; meats;  rice  dishes ; desserts ; table 
napkins — Lively  experience  at  country  inn — 
Beds — Santa  Clara  convention — Pronunciation 
of  Spanish  in  America — Return  to  Havana ; de- 
railment. 


Cuba  {Continued)  . . . . 

Letters  of  welcome — Spanish  etiquette — Country 
houses  — Furnishings — Causes  of  poverty  of 
laborer  — Cock-fighting — Lottery — Necessities 
of  existence  few  — Housekeeping  problems  ; 
food;  servants;  vermin — Laundry — Foodstuffs 
imported  — Landscapes  — Sunsets — Heavens — 
People — Appreciation. 

7 


8 CO^^TEXTS 

IV.  Cuba  {^Concluded')  . . . . 6l 

Pioneer  work  of  colporter — Beginning  of  work 
and  organization  of  church  in  Esp>eranza,  Cuba 
— Family  influenced  by  the  Bible — Tact  of 
colporters — Talavera — Enthusiasm  of  Sr.  Pum- 
pido — Mr.  Cole’s  success  and  language  difficulty 
— American  lack  of  thoroughness  with  language 
— Some  results  of  Bible  ffistribution  ; Munoz ; 

Reyes;  woman  from  Puerto  Padre — Need  of 
Christian  literature. 

V.  Haiti 77 

Situation  ; climate ; flora — History — Retrogression 
— Ignorance  of  Bible — Trip  to  Port-au-Prince — 
Landing — Condition  of  city — Voodooism — Sor- 
cerers— Belief  in  ghosts — Haitian  patois — Ar- 
rival at  Methodist  parsonage — Officials’  method 
of  collecting  salary — Securing  a passport — A.  B. 

S.  meeting  poverty-stricken  condition — Pleasant 
memories. 

VI.  Haiti  {Continued^  ....  99 

Haitian  soldiery — Recruiting  for  army — Treatment 
of  prisoners — Despotic  government  — Haitian 
character — Converts  ; happy ; freed  from  the 
power  of  evil — Church  doors  from  sacred  tree 
— Seeming  unreality  of  conditions — Open  air 
market  gatherings — Thomazeau — Blue  denim — 
Beginning  of  work  in  Jeremie — Jacmel — Con- 
version of  P.  N.  Lherisson. 

VII.  Haiti  {^Co?iti?tued) . . . • 113 

Church  at  Jacmel ; schools — Dr.  Gousse — Visit  to 
out-stations — Call  at  deacon’s  home — Morning 
start  — Counting  congregation — Journey  down 
mountains — Rome’s  attitude  towards  niarriage 
— Its  results  in  marital  relations  in  Haiti — ^Atti- 
tude of  church  in  Jacmel  towards  legal  marriage. 

VIII.  Haiti  {Co7tcluded) ....  123 

Some  social  customs — Night  at  Dcslandes — Des- 
potic militarism  — First  visit  to  Leogane — 
Drinking  water  supply  from  cocoanuts — Episco- 
pialian  work  in  Leogane — Near,  needy,  and 
neglected — Hospitals. 


CONTENTS 


9 


IX.  Santo  Domingo  . . . .137 

More  uniformity  in  Spanish  language  in  America 
than  in  the  home  land — Oldest  Spanish  colony 
in  the  New  World — Rough  landing — Plans  up- 
set by  tropical  storm — Some  customs — Domini- 
cans courteous,  more  reverential  than  Cubans — 
Workers  kindly  received — Material  develop- 
ment near — Unique  mission  enterprise. 

X.  Porto  Rico 146 

First  visit  to  Porto  Rico — New  York  City  logical 
centre  from  which  to  direct  work  in  West  Indies 
— Encouraging  progress  of  Mission  work — 
House-to-house  canvass  of  whole  Island  suggested 
— Impressions  of  Porto  Rico — Houses — Sanita- 
tion— Task  of  American  government — House- 
keeping ; servant  problem — Jane — Gumersinda 
— Washerwoman — Truth  superseded  by  courtesy. 

XI.  VORTO  Rico  {Conchided)  . . l6o 

Spirit  of  cooperation — Hospitals — Student  workers 
— Bible  Sunday — Incidents;  New  York  trip; 
father  and  son;  gentleman  in  Ponce — Porto 
Rican  workers  sent  to  Dominican  Republic — 
Christian  literature. 

XII.  The  French  Islands  . . .170 

Situation — Call  for  Bibles — St.  Thomas — Basse- 
terre — Beauty  — Prosperous  appearance  — 

Women ; love  of  finery — Experience  in  market 
— Illiteracy  rare — Meeting  native  Christians — 

Journey  to  Pointe-a-Pitre — Selling  books  on  boat 
— In  Pointe-a-Pitre — Sale  to  Sorceress. 

XIII.  The  French  Islands  {Concluded)  182 

A trip  to  La  Souftriere — Stay  at  a convent — Pere 
Duss — Ascent  of  volcano — Return  to  convent — 
Exhortation  of  priest — Comparison  of  Guade- 
loupe and  Haiti — Results  of  report  of  first  visit ; 
in  Porto  Rico  ; in  New  York — Messrs.  Germain 
and  Ruga — Appeal  to  Mission  Boards. 

XIV.  Observations  . . . .193 

Importance  of  Spanish  language — Suggestions  to 
beginners — West  Indies ; climate  ; necessary 
precautions — Some  interesting  fauna — Oppor- 
tunity for  service. 


ILLUSTRATIONS 


Frontispiece 

The  Late  Dr.  Milton  Greene  and  the 
Writer  on  Road  to  Esperanza.  Dr. 
Greene  Occupies  Rear  Seat.  The 
Author  has  Removed  His  Hat 

Opposite  Page 

Entrance  to  Havana  Harbour.  Daily  Boat 
Leaving  for  Key  West_,  Elorida,  Carry- 
ing Author's  Mother  Home  after  Visit  24 
Cuban  Village  House  under  Construction. 

Fishermen's  Homes,  Esperanza,  Cuba  . 50 

Haitian  Soldiers  on  the  March.  Corner  of 

Port-au-Prince,  Haiti,  Market  Square  ioo 
Market  in  Thomazeau;  Girl  Selling  Grass 

Mat  Used  as  Bed 104 

First  Colporters  of  American  Bible  Society 
IN  Haiti;  Their  Pastor,  Rev.  A.  F.  P. 
Turnbull,  and  Author  Standing  . . no 

Porto  Rican  Home  in  Suburbs  of  Ponce. 

Porto  Rican  Homes  in  Cayey,  P.  R.  . 150 

Bishop  Burt  and  Daughter  with  Rev.  Man- 
uel Andujar  Crossing  the  Mountains 
OF  Porto  Rico  in  Bible  Society's  Auto. 
Author  is  at  the  Wheel  ....  162 


II 


Foreword 


The  wanderings  of  the  writer  for  the  last 
twelve  years  have  been  in  countries  so 
near  to  our  own  land  and  so  intimately 
connected  with  it  in  the  destinies  of  the  future  that 
they  are  beginning  to  occupy,  and  deservedly  so, 
an  increased  place  in  the  interest  of  our  statesmen, 
as  well  as  business  men,  and  philanthropists.  We 
wish  they  might  occupy  a larger  place  in  the  think- 
ing of  the  public  generally,  especially  of  that  public 
represented  by  the  membership  of  our  churches 
and  whose  benevolent  impulses  find  expression  in 
the  activities  of  the  various  Mission  Boards. 

Latin  America  has  much  that  we  need;  nay, 
much  that,  under  the  exigencies  of  the  present 
condition  of  civilization,  we  feel  we  must  have. 
Let  us,  for  a moment,  ask  ourselves  what  we  would 
do  without  the  sugar  of  Cuba  and  Porto  Rico,  the 
rubber  of  Mexico  and  South  America,  the  fiber  of 
Yucatan,  the  bananas  from  the  countries  whose 
shores  are  washed  by  the  Caribbean,  the  coffee  that 
we  receive  from  nearly  all  of  Latin  America,  the 
cocoa  from  which  our  delicious  chocolate  is  made ; 
to  say  nothing  of  the  cocoanuts,  ivory  nuts,  hides, 
petroleum,  gold,  silver,  and  platinum  that  come  to 
our  shores  from  these  countries;  as  well  as  the 
multitude  of  other  products  that  enter  into  our 

13 


14 


FOREWORD 


manufactures  and  commerce ; and  we  shall  realize 
that  we  are  not  independent  of  them,  nor  is  it  desir- 
able that  we  should  be  even  if  it  were  possible. 

On  the  other  hand  we  possess  many  things  that 
Latin  America  must  have,  mostly  manufactured 
articles.  Not  only  are  they  buying  from  us  such 
elementary  necessities  as  shoes,  cotton  cloth,  and 
canned  goods;  but  railroad  equipment,  mining, 
manufacturing,  and  farm  machinery,  automo- 
biles, typewriters,  photographic  supplies,  com- 
puting scales,  adding  machines,  and  all  other 
modern  office  equipment.  All  of  these  articles  of 
commerce  they  will  purchase  hereafter  in  con- 
stantly increasing  quantities.  Germany  worked 
hard  for  this  trade  and  by  a system  of  favoring 
the  exporter  at  the  expense  of  the  home  buyer,  by 
the  subsidizing  of  steamship  lines,  etc.j  made  it- 
self a large  factor  in  Latin  American  trade. 
With  the  practical  elimination  of  German  com- 
petition during  the  war  all  of  these  countries 
looked  towards  cultivating  more  intimate  trade  re- 
lations with  the  country  that  some  of  their  writers 
have  termed  the  “ Colossus  of  the  North,”  imply- 
ing thereby  the  power,  at  least,  if  not  the  will  to 
oppress  and  crush.  Some  are  beginning  to  under- 
stand that  we  are  not  so  disposed.  All  thinking 
people  see  that  more  intimate  trade  relations  are 
inevitable  and  most  recognize  their  desirability. 

How  important  that  we  should  have  a sympa- 
thetic understanding  of  the  countries  with  whom 


FOEEWOED 


15 


we  are  not  only  bound  to  have  an  increased  ex- 
change of  commercial  products;  but  that  are  go- 
ing to  call  for  machinists,  miners,  agriculturalists, 
and  lumbermen  to  help  develop  their  vast  material 
resources;  for  bankers  and  insurance  men,  physi- 
cians, trained  nurses,  sanitary  engineers,  as  well  as 
for  religious,  educational  and  social  workers. 

Hitherto,  I have  spoken  only  of  the  material  side 
of  the  need  and  desirability  of  the  inter-relation- 
ship. From  the  intellectual  and  spiritual  stand- 
point a great  deal  might  be  said  regarding  the  les- 
sons which  each  might  learn  from  the  other. 
While  we  are  inclined  to  be  abrupt,  even  to  the 
border  of  rudeness,  in  our  dealings  with  our  fel- 
lows, the  Spanish  American  is  always  polite  and 
considerate  in  all  the  relationships  of  social  and 
business  life.  He  does  not  sit  down  in  a room 
where  there  are  others,  or  at  a hotel  table,  without 
recognizing  by  bow  and  word  those  who  may  be 
there  before  him.  When  he  leaves,  it  is:  ‘'With 
your  permission,”  and  a word  of  good-will  for 
those  who  remain;  though  all  may  be  perfect 
strangers. 

“ I never  saw  anything  like  it,”  said  an  English- 
man to  me  a short  time  ago,  who  was  visiting 
Colombia  for  the  first  time,  “ the  gentlemanliness 
of  the  peon  (common  working  class).  If  I were 
visiting  any  large  city  in  Spain  and  went  about 
among  them  as  I have  here  I would  be  followed 
by  a mob  of  curious  children,  staring,  laughing  at 


16 


FOEEWOED 


me  and  making  unpleasant  remarks.  Here  I am 
taken  as  a matter  of  course.  No  remarks  are 
made  at  my  awkwardness,  I am  treated  with  every 
consideration  by  the  very  poorest  and  no  intimation 
given  that  a reward  or  tip  is  expected  for  any 
service  rendered.’^  He  did  not  cease  to  express 
his  surprise  though  we  were  several  days  together. 
Of  course,  I was  not  surprised.  I had  been  ex-* 
periencing  just  this  kind  of  considerate  treatment 
for  the  last  twelve  years. 

It  is  a pleasure  to  testify  here  to  the  kind  treat- 
ment accorded  me  everywhere  during  these  years 
of  travel  among  our  neighbors.  I have  yet  to 
experience  the  first  unkind  act,  or  hear  the  first 
unkind  word  directed  to  me  personally  by  a Latin 
American ; and  I travelled  widely  in  Mexico  during 
the  critical  period  from  1914  to  1918.  I am  aware 
that  such  has  not  been  the  experience  of  all  Ameri- 
cans in  Mexico.  There  have  been  sad  exceptions 
in  that  country  owing  to  the  passions  aroused  by 
the  war  spirit ; but  even  during  the  time  of  greatest 
stress  inconsiderate  treatment  of  the  foreigner  by 
the  common  people  was  the  exception  and  not  the 
rule. 

There  is  a seeking  after  the  beautiful  and  artistic 
among  their  best  writers,  both  in  description,  and 
form  of  expression,  that  we  would  do  well  to 
imitate.  On  the  other  hand  the  writings  of  some 
authors,  of  the  so-called  realistic  school,  are  so 
sensuous  that  one  almost  blushes  to  confess  having 


rOEEWOED 


17 


looked  inside  the  covers  of  the  books  written  by 
them.  With  a few  exceptions  the  sex  attraction 
as  represented  in  literature  is  considered  from  the 
physical  rather  than  from  the  intellectual  and 
spiritual  side. 

There  is  a great  need  in  all  of  these  countries 
for  a healthy,  inspiring,  character  building  litera- 
ture. Will  they  read  it?  Ask  Mrs.  Barber  of 
Medellin,  Colombia.  She  has  a library  of  the  best 
books  she  could  secure  in  Spanish ; having  selected 
them  from  countries  as  widely  separated  as  Spain 
and  the  Philippines,  New  York  and  the  Argentine, 
which  she  lends  to  a class  of  girls.  “ There  is 
nothing  my  girls  will  not  read  and  give  a good 
account  of,  in  history,  biography,  philosophy,  or 
religion,’^  she  remarked  to  me.  I was  struck  with 
the  fact  that  one  large  book  consisting  of  the  life 
of  John  Wesley  showed  marks  of  having  been  read 
and  reread,  and  there  is  not  a Methodist  Church 
in  Colombia. 

Naturally  in  the  educational  and  spiritual  fields 
there  is  much  that  we  can  give  to  that  part  of 
Latin  America  described  here.  These  countries 
were  much  longer  under  the  rule  of  the  mother 
country  than  we.  The  rule  of  Spain  was  much 
more  oppressive  and  tyrannizing  than  that  of  Eng- 
land. Not  only  have  they,  since  their  emancipa- 
tion, been  torn  by  internal  strife;  but  they  have  had 
a proportionately  much  larger  indigenous  popula- 
tion to  absorb  than  we;  and  the  percentage  of 


18 


FOEEWORD 


literacy  is  still  much  less  than  with  us.  These  are 
some  of  the  reasons  why  the  wheels  of  progress 
have  turned  faster  in  our  part  of  the  world  than  in 
Latin  America.  There  are  many  other  reasons, 
among  which  the  difference  of  climate  should  not 
be  overlooked. 

The  principal  cause  of  the  difference  in  progress 
is,  however,  deeper  and  more  fundamental.  It  is 
religious.  The  founders  of  the  North  American 
Republic,  both  Protestant  and  Catholic,  were  of 
strong  religious  convictions  and  came  to  the  for- 
bidding shores  of  the  northern  continent  seeking, 
not  gold  or  landed  wealth,  but  religious  liberty, 
freedom  from  persecution,  and  an  opportunity  to 
establish  homes  where  every  man  could  worship 
God  according  to  his  own  ideas,  without  fear  of 
molestation.  With  us,  from  the  first,  the  Bible  has 
been  an  open  book,  studied  and  revered  as  the 
standard  of  morals  and  religion.  The  founders  of 
the  Spanish  Dominion  in  America  were  religious  in 
their  way.  Religious  liberty  was,  however,  un- 
known to  them.  Their  religious  conquests  were 
those  of  the  sword,  and  the  Inquisition  was 
brought  into  play  to  suppress  heresy,  and,  by  force, 
to  compel  all  to  confess  the  same  faith.  The  Bible 
has  not  been  a household  book  with  them.  The 
few  copies  that  found  their  way  into  Spanish 
America  were  bulky,  many  volumed  works,  filled 
with  annotations  and  sold  at  a price  that  put  them 
beyond  the  reach  of  all  but  the  wealthy. 


FOREWORD 


19 


To  the  heirs  of  the  early  settlers  of  the  North 
American  Continent  the  promise  of  our  Saviour 
has  been  literally  fulfilled  in  regard  to  material 
possessions:  Seek  ye  first  the  Kingdom  of  God 

and  His  righteousness  and  all  these  things  shall 
be  added  unto  you.”  The  nation  has  become  rich 
beyond  the  wildest  dreams  of  our  ancestors.  In 
our  prosperity  let  us  not  forget  the  God  who  gave 
it,  nor  the  book  which  has  been  the  source  of  in- 
spiration and  strength  to  all  our  greatest  men. 
Also  remembering  that  “ Where  there  is  no  vision 
the  people  perish,”  shall  we  not  make  it  easy  for 
our  neighbors  to  secure  the  Book  that  has  meant 
so  much  to  us? 

The  experiences  recorded  in  this  book  are  some 
of  the  reminiscences  of  the  time  spent  as  a repre- 
sentative of  the  American  Bible  Society;  whose 
special  mission  is  the  translation,  publication  and 
distribution  of  the  Bible  among  all  people,  of  what- 
ever language  or  nationality.  The  years  spent  in 
the  work  have  been  happy  ones,  and  the  service 
has  been  a privilege.  I have  learned  to  love  and 
appreciate  the  peoples  to  the  south  of  us.  I am 
sure  this  will  be  the  experience  of  all  who  approach 
them  in  the  right  spirit. 

W.  F.  J. 

Bible  House, 

Cristobal, 

Canal  Zone. 


f 

■ I 


I 


CUBA 

The  writer  had  followed  the  suggestions 
made  in  the  concluding  chapter  of  this 
book  regarding  the  study  of  Spanish. 
Mrs.  Jordan  had  just  completed  a course  at  the 
Union  Missionary  Training  Institute  in  Brooklyn, 
N.  Y.,  where  he  had  been  teaching.  We  were 
ready  for  work  in  the  foreign  field,  and  expected 
to  go  to  India.  During  the  last  year  I had  taken 
up  the  reading  of  Spanish  in  order  to  avoid  losing 
the  time  spent  on  Latin  and  to  double  my  field  of 
possible  usefulness  and  pleasure. 

How  the  way  to  India  was  temporarily  closed 
for  us  belongs  to  another  story.  This  begins  with 
the  direction  of  my  steps  to  the  Bible  House,  Astor 
Place,  N.  Y.,  one  day  in  late  October  or  early  No- 
vember of  1908.  The  American  Christian  Con- 
vention would  not  be  meeting  for  two  years  to 
decide  the  matter  of  a mission  to  India.  Mean- 
while, I thought  possibly  the  American  Bible  Soci- 
ety might  use  me  in  the  Island  of  Haiti  as  a dis- 
tributor of  Bibles,  because  of  my  knowledge  of 
French,  and  my  former  experience  in  selling  relig- 
ious books  during  vacations. 

I first  met  the  late  Dr.  Dwight,  who  was  doubt- 
21 


22  CEUSADING  IN  THE  WEST  INDIES 


ful  if  the  Society  would  care  to  take  a man  who 
wished  to  give  but  two  years  to  the  work.  He, 
however,  introduced  me  to  Dr.  John  Fox,  corre- 
sponding secretary,  who  after  asking  a few  ques- 
tions, invited  me  to  meet  the  Foreign  Agencies’ 
Committee  that  afternoon.  Unknown  to  me  they 
were  meeting  to  consider  the  resignation  of  the 
representative  in  the  West  Indies,  the  Rev.  Pedro 
Reoseco,  who  wished  to  be  relieved  of  his  duties  at 
once. 

When  before  the  Committee,  one  of  the  mem- 
bers asked  me  in  Spanish  if  I could  speak  the  lan- 
guage, I replied  very  haltingly,  in  the  same  lan- 
guage, that  I could  read  and  write  it,  but  that  I had 
had  no  practice  in  speaking  it.  I was  then  asked 
if  I would  be  willing  to  go  to  Cuba  for  six  months 
and  answered  in  the  affirmative.  The  following 
week  the  Board  approved  of  my  appointment  and 
the  first  steamer  found  us  on  the  way  to  Havana 
to  take  charge  of  the  work  of  the  American  Bible 
Society  in  the  West  Indies  for  a period  of  six 
months.  Thus  began  a relationship  that  has  been 
continued  to  the  present  and  has  taken  me  through 
Cuba,  Haiti,  Santo  Domingo,  St.  Thomas,  Guade- 
loupe, Jamaica,  Mexico,  Guatemala,  Salvador, 
Honduras,  Nicaragua,  Costa  Rica,  Panama,  Co- 
lombia, Ecuador,  Peru,  Chili,  and  Bolivia,  besides 
to  many  cities  of  our  own  land  in  the  interests  of 
Bible  distribution  among  our  Spanish  and  French 
speaking  neighbors. 


CUBA 


23 


The  trip  to  Cuba,  though  short,  can  at  times  be 
very  unpleasant.  Especially  is  it  likely  to  be  rough 
off  Cape  Hatteras.  We  had  a good  voyage  and 
were  not  seasick.  The  first  day  out  was  cold  and 
raw,  the  next  was  warmer,  with  the  sea  a little 
rough  off  the  Cape.  The  only  spice  to  the  journey 
was  when  we  struck  this  bit  of  rough  sea. 

Going  to  Cuba  the  boats  keep  rather  close  to 
Florida  in  order  to  avoid  the  north-bound  Gulf 
current,  hence  we  were  in  sight  of  a long  stretch 
of  the  Florida  coast  during  the  last  day  out.  On 
the  way  back  to  New  York  from  Havana  one  does 
not  see  Florida;  as,  in  order  to  take  advantage  of 
the  current,  the  boats  keep  farther  out  to  sea.  The 
rate  of  the  current  of  the  Gulf  Stream  makes  a dif- 
ference of  about  one  day  in  favor  of  the  north- 
bound boats. 

The  morning  of  the  fourth  day  we  awoke  in 
sight  of  Cuba,  and  by  the  time  we  had  dressed  and 
reached  the  deck,  were  quite  close.  We  were  con- 
siderably surprised  to  see  only  grass-covered  hills, 
and  were  impressed  by  the  absence  of  the  profuse 
tropical  vegetation  that,  in  our  minds,  we  had  al- 
ways associated  with  the  West  Indies.  The  grass- 
covered  hills  to  the  east  of  Havana  look  like  grass- 
covered  hills  in  any  other  part  of  the  world.  Just 
at  this  point  of  the  coast  of  Cuba,  trees  are  con- 
spicuous by  their  absence. 

A little  later  in  the  morning  we  came  opposite 
Morro  point  and  waited  for  the  pilot.  Here  we 


24  CEUSADmG  IN  THE  WEST  INDIES 


were  In  full  view  of  the  City  of  Havana,  the  capital 
of  Cuba,  the  pearl  of  the  Antilles,  once  a glittering 
jewel  in  the  crown  of  Spain,  the  largest  and 
wealthiest  city  of  the  West  Indies.  Evidences  of 
its  wealth  were  everywhere  manifest. 

In  the  white  stone  material  of  its  buildings  Ha- 
vana reminds  one  of  Genoa,  also  in  some  of  its 
antiquated  architecture.  Here,  however,  the  like- 
ness ends.  Instead  of  towering  above  the  sea,  Ha- 
vana rises  gently  from  the  water’s  edge.  From 
the  deck  of  the  ship  as  we  pass  the  narrow  entrance 
to  Havana  Bay,  perhaps  the  best  protected  harbor 
in  the  world,  we  see  the  Malecon,  or  sea-wall  drive- 
way, and  get  a glimpse  of  the  magnificent  Prado, 
a combined  walk  and  driveway,  extending  from  the 
sea-wall  to  the  Plaza-de-Colon  in  the  business  sec- 
tion of  the  city.  The  centre  of  this  magnificent 
avenue  is  adorned  with  grass  plots,  flowering 
shrubs,  fountains  and  rows  of  spreading  shade 
trees.  It  runs  between  buildings  proportionately 
rich,  substantial  and  elegant.  The  setting  is  mag- 
nificent. Havana  the  dirty,  the  garbage-reeking 
Havana,  Havana  the  pest-hole  of  the  old  revolu- 
tionary days,  has  become  Plavana  the  beautiful, 
Havana  the  all-season  health  resort  of  the  Cuba  of 
to-day. 

At  the  time  of  our  arrival  there  were  no  docks ; 
or,  at  least,  the  large  boats  did  not  tie  up  to  such 
docks  as  there  were,  but  anchored  in  the  middle  of 
the  Bay.  Passengers  went  ashore  in  launches  and 


ENTRANCE  TO  HAVANA  HARBOUR.  DAILY  BOAT  LEAVING  FOR  KEY  WEST,  FLORIDA,  CARRYING 

AUTHOR’S  MOTHER  HOME  AFTER  VISIT. 


CUBA 


25 


freight  was  taken  off  in  lighters.  Those  who  han- 
dled this  traffic  opposed,  most  strenuously,  the 
building  of  any  docks,  and  were  for  a long  time 
powerful  enough  to  succeed  in  their  opposition.  I 
was  told  by  an  importer  that  it  cost  more  to  get 
goods  from  the  ship  to  the  docks  than  the  cost  of 
the  freight  from  Liverpool  to  Havana  harbor. 

We  were  fortunate  in  having  Mr.  Reoseco  with 
us  to  guide  our  unfamiliar  steps.  At  this  time 
visitors  to  Cuba  required  no  passports ; and  after  a 
perfunctory  medical  examination  we  were  allowed 
to  land.  The  keys  to  our  trunks  were  given  to  a 
trusted  baggage  man,  who  attended  to  the  customs 
inspection  and  brought  them  to  our  room  in  the 
hotel  later. 

To  reach  our  destination,  we  took  a “ coach,” 
which  is  the  name  with  which  both  Spanish  and 
English  speaking  West  Indians  have  dignified  the 
vehicle  technically  known  as  a Victoria  in  other 
parts  of  the  world.  The  fare  is  very  moderate,  ten 
cents  for  each  person  to  any  point  in  the  business 
section  of  the  city.  People  used  to  remark  that 
cab  fare  was  the  only  inexpensive  thing  in  Havana. 
The  drive  was  through  the  old  part  of  the  city ; so 
we  had  an  early  introduction  to  the  narrow  streets 
of  this  antiquated  portion  of  Havana.  Many  of 
the  streets  are  so  narrow  that  two  vehicles  can  with 
difficulty  pass,  and  the  traffic  must  perforce  be  but 
one  way.  On  these  streets  the  sidewalks  vary  in 
width  from  two  feet  to  six  inches,  where  the  curb 


26  CRUSADITO  IN  THE  WEST  INDIES 


has  literally  crowded  the  sidewalk  out ; and  on  one 
of  them,  Empedrado,  the  street-cars  run  so  close 
to  the  buildings  that,  if  one  is  met  while  walking 
on  the  sidewalk,  you  are  compelled  to  turn  sidewise 
to  allow  it  to  pass.  As  this  was  a street  down 
which  many  of  the  cars  entering  the  city  from  the 
suburbs  passed,  one  was  frequently  obliged  to  wait 
flattened  against  the  wall  for  several  cars  to  go  by. 
These  conditions,  however,  prevail  only  in  the 
older  part  of  the  city ; the  new  streets  are  modern. 

We  were  struck  with  the  wealth  displayed  in  the 
stores  that  are  crowded  into  some  of  these  narrow 
streets;  jewelry  and  plate,  rich  silks  and  other 
fancy  textiles,  the  most  expensive  kinds  of  fine 
groceries,  etc.  In  the  glass  cases  of  the  stalls  of 
the  money  changers  were  piles  of  Spanish  and 
French  gold  and  silver  coins.  Havana  can  display 
more  wealth  in  small  compass  than  any  city  that  I 
know. 

Havana  is  a gay  city  and  so  impresses  one  at 
first  sight.  To  one  coming  from  the  cooler  coun- 
tries of  the  North,  where  life  has  to  be  taken  more 
seriously,  Cuba  seems  to  be  a care-free,  pleasure- 
loving  country  where  the  one  object  of  life  is  to 
get  all  the  enjoyment  out  of  it  possible. 

Life  even  in  the  large  cities  is  very  much  in  the 
open.  This  open-air  life  is  secured  also  in  the 
residences,  by  the  many  doors,  and  high  windows 
extending  to  the  floor.  Both  doors  and  windows 
are  open,  but  protected  by  iron  gratings.  Some  of 


CUBA 


27 


these  gratings  are  composed  of  fanciful  designs. 
The  parlor,  or  living-room,  of  the  homes  is  thus 
open  to  view  from  the  street.  This  room  is  usually 
paved  with  a brightly  colored  mosaic  of  glazed  til- 
ing. The  centre  table  is  covered  with  ornamental 
bric-a-brac.  There  are  also  side  tables  against  the 
walls  with  the  same  style  of  ornamentation  and 
rocking-chairs  in  abundance. 

Nowhere  do  I know  of  a people  so  given  to  rock- 
ing as  are  the  Cubans.  Rocking  seems  to  be  the 
principal  occupation  of  the  Cuban  lady,  interfered 
with  only  by  lace-making  and  promenading  in  the 
Prado.  The  Cubans  are  very  sociable  and  in  the 
evenings  one  sees  the  ladies  especially,  with  their 
visitors,  arranged  in  a circle,  facing  each  other 
around  the  centre  table  rocking  and  visiting  until 
late  at  night.  The  elite  of  Havana  seldom  retire 
until  after  midnight;  and  on  their  return  from  the 
theatres  will  sit  and  laugh,  gossip  and  joke,  ex- 
pending their  nervous  energies  in  rocking  continu- 
ally until  wearied  enough  to  retire. 

In  social  life  the  Cuban  courtship  is  a very  for- 
mal affair,  and  is  conducted  between  the  gratings 
of  the  barred  street  windows.  The  young  man  be- 
gins by  saluting  the  young  lady  as  he  passes  the 
house.  If  his  advances  are  favorably  received  he 
stops  for  a word.  As  the  courtship  progresses, 
they  will  stand  for  hours  at  the  window,  he  on  the 
sidewalk,  and  she  within,  always  accompanied  by 
some  other  lady  member  of  the  family.  While  en- 


28  CRUSADING  IN  THE  WEST  INDIES 


gaged  thus  the  young  people  are  said  to  be  “ Pe- 
lando  el  pavo  ” (picking  the  turkey).  If  an  en- 
gagement results,  he  is  invited  into  the  sitting-room 
and  may  there  join  the  rocking  party  around  the 
centre  table;  but  never  are  the  enamoured  couple 
left  alone.  Much  to  the  relief  of  the  young  people 
and  to  the  amusement  of  the  passers-by,  the  chap- 
eron does,  however,  frequently  fall  asleep.  The 
privilege  of  being  alone  is  reserved  until  after  the 
wedding. 

The  beautiful  promenades  of  the  Prado  are  made 
use  of  to  a certain  extent  during  the  week,  espe- 
cially by  children,  nurse  girls,  aged  people  and 
loiterers,  who  occupy  the  benches.  But  Sunday  is 
the  great  day  for  promenading,  not  only  in  Cuba 
but  pretty  generally  throughout  Latin  America. 
Everyone  dresses  in  his  or  her  best.  In  fact,  many 
of  the  young  ladies  will  not  go  to  the  promenade 
unless  they  have  something  new  to  display.  Thus 
the  avenue  becomes  a crowded  thoroughfare  of 
gaily  dressed  ladies  and  fastidiously  groomed  gen- 
tlemen who  pass  the  long  hours  of  the  Sunday  af- 
ternoon and  evening  sauntering  up  and  down  the 
beautiful  walks,  down  to  the  sea-wall,  around  the 
band-stand  and  back  again. 

American  and  Spanish  ideals  of  personal  beauty 
differ.  Cuban  ladies  pride  themselves  on  their 
well-nourished  appearance.  A young  woman  has 
a great  horror  of  being  slender.  A certain  amount 
of  portliness  in  the  feminine  figure  is  absolutely 


CUBA 


29 


necessary  to  comply  with  the  Cuban  idea  of  beauty. 
Their  sedentary  life  is  such  as  to  favor  the  develop- 
ment of  this  figure,  which  is  constantly  sought 
after.  One  of  the  most  common  advertisements  in 
newspapers  of  Cuba  is  one  offering  information  to 
women  as  to  how  they  may  best  develop  the  bust. 

The  business  of  Havana  is  largely  in  the  hands 
of  Spaniards.  While,  with  our  help,  Cuba  won 
her  political  independence  from  Spain,  she  has  not, 
nor  is  she  ever  likely  to  win  her  economic  inde- 
pendence from  the  Spanish  merchants.  Spanish 
business  concerns  do  not  employ  Cubans  in  their 
service  to  any  extent.  The  clerks  of  the  firm  are 
generally  young  Spaniards  who  come  out  to  serve 
an  apprenticeship  with  the  idea  of  later  becoming 
members  of  the  firm.  In  many  cases  employees 
lodge  in  the  establishment,  and  even  when  they 
lodge  elsewhere  all  eat  at  a common  table,  gener- 
ally on  the  premises.  These  employees  eating  to- 
gether at  the  noon  hour  at  a table  supplied  by  some 
near-by  restaurant  furnish  one  of  the  novel  sights 
of  Havana.  The  menial  service  in  these  establish- 
ments is  usually  performed  by  the  industrious  Gal- 
legos, from  the  province  of  Galicia  in  Spain. 

Throughout  the  Island  the  Cuban  is  the  office- 
holder. One  would  think  that  a government  posi- 
tion was  the  sum  and  substance  of  what  he  had 
been  fighting  to  secure.  In  fact,  the  principal 
troubles  that  the  Island  has  had  since  its  inde- 
pendence have  been  connected  with  this  idea  of 


30  CRUSADING  IN  THE  WEST  INDIES 


office-holding.  The  Negro  uprisings  in  Santiago 
Province  have  been  the  result  of  a feeling  on  the 
part  of  the  Negro  that  injustice  was  being  done 
him.  He  had  fought  in  the  revolutionary  ranks 
and  thought  that  he  was  entitled  to  hold  as  many 
offices  as  those  of  fairer  skin. 

Graft  and  red  tape  seemed  to  be  the  principal 
characteristics  of  the  Island  officialdom.  There 
were  many  employees  on  the  government  pay-roll 
of  whom  rumor  had  it  that  they  never  appeared  at 
the  office  except  on  pay  day.  When  Mr.  Cole  was 
in  charge  of  Bible  distribution  in  Cuba  in  1914,  I 
took  down  to  him  a Ford  car  for  use  in  and  around 
Havana.  It  took  three  weeks  to  get  through  the 
preliminaries  necessary  to  securing  a license  for 
the  automobile  and  a chauffeur’s  license  for  myself. 
The  mayor  very  kindly  gave  me  a special  permit, 
however,  to  use  the  car  immediately  upon  landing. 
I was  not  willing  to  offer  any  bribes  nor  pay  any- 
one for  putting  the  thing  through  more  quickly  for 
me,  hence  was  obliged  to  return  almost  daily  to  the 
municipal  offices,  run  the  gamut  of  the  various  de- 
partments, and  stand  for  hours  before  wickets  in 
these  offices  for  the  period  mentioned;  though  I 
knew  of  others,  who,  by  greasing  the  wheels  of  the 
municipal  machinery,  had  secured  their  license  in 
much  less  time. 

There  is  an  air  of  munificence  and  wealth  in  the 
white  stone  and  marble  that  enter  so  largely  into 
the  construction  of  the  buildings  of  Havana  that 


CUBA 


31 


is  not  to  be  seen  in  any  other  city  in  Northern 
Latin  America.  Cuba  possesses  a white  building 
stone  that  is  soft  when  quarried  and  hardens  upon 
exposure.  While  in  its  soft  state  it  is  worked  into 
the  desired  blocks  and  shapes  with  saws,  axes, 
adzes,  in  fact,  any  tool  with  which  soft  wood  can 
be  worked.  After  hardening  sufficiently  the  blocks 
are  fitted  into  their  places.  Under  certain  condi- 
tions the  stone  is  brittle  and  it  is  not  unusual  to  see 
where  ornamental  projections  have  broken  off  and 
fallen.  Pedestrians  in  the  street  below  have  occa- 
sionally been  killed  by  these  falling  pieces. 

One  of  the  features  of  the  Island,  especially  of 
Havana,  are  the  numerous  Spanish  Clubs  patron- 
ized by  all  classes  of  people.  Some  of  these  clubs 
are  magnificently  housed  and  provide  practically  all 
kinds  of  amusement.  They  also  give  banking 
facilities,  insurance  and  medical  service  as  well. 

Wherever  one  goes,  one  cannot  get  away  from 
the  impression  that  in  Cuba  the  chief  object  of  life 
is  present  pleasure.  Business  seems  to  be  con- 
ducted to  secure  money  to  spend  on  one’s  pleasures. 
Government  positions  are  sought  as  a means  of 
gratification  of  pleasure.  The  chief  products  of 
the  Island  are  sugar  and  tobacco ; and  there  is  such 
a demand  for  labor  in  these  industries  that  there 
is  practically  no  unemployment ; hence  economic  as 
well  as  climatic  conditions  seem  to  have  contributed 
to  make  the  Cubans  a care-free,  pleasure-loving, 
people. 


II 


CUBA  {Continued) 

CHRISTIANITY  is  founded  upon  the 
message  and  teachings  of  the  Bible,  and 
the  circulation  of  the  Book  is  of  primar\’ 
importance  in  connection  with  the  work  of  world 
evangelization.  For  efficiency  in  this  ser\*ice  of 
distribution  the  Bible  Societies  have  divided  the 
world  into  districts  called  Agencies,  putting  the 
work  in  each  field  under  the  direction  of  an 
Agency  Secretar}^  The  Agency  Secretar^^  is  the 
representative  in  his  field  of  the  churches  and  in- 
dividuals in  the  home  land,  whose  instrument  the 
Bible  Society  is,  in  helping  to  give  the  nations  the 
Bible.  He  is  notified  beforehand  each  year  as  to 
how  much  money  he  can  have  for  the  work  in  his 
field.  His  problem  is  to  use  the  available  funds  in 
placing  the  largest  possible  number  of  books  in 
the  hands  of  people  who  are  likely  to  read  them. 

It  has  always  been  the  policy  of  the  American 
Bible  Society  to  sell  the  books  at  some  price,  gen- 
erally at  or  below  the  cost  of  production,  rather 
than  to  give  them  away ; reasoning  that,  if  a person 
is  willing  to  pay  something  to  secure  a book  he  is 
much  more  likely  to  read  it  than  if  he  received  it 

32 


CUBA 


33 


as  a gift.  Sometimes  the  Secretary  himself  ac- 
companies the  native  colporter  or  travelling  sales- 
man on  long  trips  in  territory  unoccupied  by  any 
mission  workers,  selling  books,  mostly  Gospels,  to 
all  who  can  be  persuaded  to  buy.  Momentous  re- 
sults often  follow  just  this  kind  of  Bible  distri- 
bution. Many  opportunities  also  present  them- 
selves for  the  preaching  of  the  Gospel  to  groups 
as  well  as  individuals. 

Incidentally  the  Agency  Secretary  may  preach  or 
lecture  as  opportunity  offers;  but  primarily  he  is 
a Bible  distributor.  He  visits  the  conferences, 
presbyteries,  and  various  church  conventions,  in 
lands  where  missions  are  established  to  consult 
with  the  missionaries  and  workers  regarding  plans 
directed  towards  securing  a wider  circulation  and 
reading  of  the  Book  of  Books.  He  is  generally 
given  a place  on  the  program  at  such  gatherings 
and  expected  to  say  something  of  interest  regard- 
ing the  work  of  the  Bible  Society.  Realizing,  as 
all  evangelical  workers  do,  how  fundamental  and 
necessary  is  the  work  of  Bible  distribution,  they 
make  him  a welcome  visitor  at  all  times.  A great 
deal  of  the  Secretary’s  time  must  therefore  be  spent 
in  travel,  getting  acquainted  with  conditions  in  his 
field,  visiting  conferences,  and  individual  churches, 
colporters,  and  correspondents  having  stocks  of 
books  for  sale. 

The  night  of  the  day  following  our  arrival  in 
Havana  I left  with  Mr.  Reoseco  for  the  City  of 


34  CRUSADING  IN  THE  WEST  INDIES 


Santa  Clara,  where  the  annual  interdenominational 
conference  of  Young  Peoples’  Societies,  as  well  as 
the  International  Sunday  School  Association,  was 
in  session.  Mr.  Reoseco  was  on  the  program  for 
an  address  and  it  seemed  wise  for  me  to  attend 
in  order  to  meet  the  various  missionary  workers  as 
well  as  our  colporter,  Mr.  Leon  Pena,  who  was 
working  in  Santa  Clara  Province  at  the  time. 

From  our  rooms  in  Havana  we  took  a coach  to 
the  depot.  Before  reaching  the  railroad  station  we 
were  met  by  several  boys  who  ran  alongside  vying 
with  each  other  for  the  opportunity  to  carry  our 
hand  baggage.  It  was  useless  to  tell  them  that 
we  needed  no  help,  that  our  baggage  was  light 
and  we  intended  to  carry  it  ourselves.  They  per- 
sisted in  their  course  beside  the  vehicle. 

On  arriving  at  the  station  we  were  obliged  to 
fall  in  line  and  wait  our  turn  at  the  ticket  window. 
Passenger  trains  were  always  crowded  in  those 
days,  and  there  was  a long  line  in  waiting.  There 
was  very  little  system  about  the  lining  up.  While 
the  majority  waited  their  turn  there  was  always  a 
crowd  near  the  wicket  seeking  an  opportunity  to 
push  in  out  of  their  regular  turn,  or  to  reach  over 
the  iron  rail  placed  in  front  of  the  window  to  keep 
the  crowd  in  single  file ; thus  securing  their  tickets 
sooner  than  they  otherwise  could  have  done.  The 
reason  for  this  rush  was  easily  understood  when 
we  were  once  on  board  the  train.  Those  who  were 
first  through  the  gate  were  able  to  secure  seats; 


CUBA 


35 


the  others  were  not.  When  one  is  in  for  an  all- 
night  ride,  the  securing  of  a scat  becomes  an  im- 
portant matter.  We  found  that  in  order  to  avoid 
the  rush  and  get  their  tickets  in  good  time  so  as 
to  be  among  those  near  the  gate  when  it  was 
opened,  people  would  pay  a peon  to  push  his  way 
in  thus  irregularly  and  purchase  tickets  for  them. 
Those  standing  in  line,  of  course,  resented  this 
intrusion  upon  their  rights  and  there  was  great 
confusion,  making  the  group  about  the  window  a 
harv^cst  centre  for  pickpockets.  The  Havana  pick- 
pocket and  petty  thief  is  looked  upon  as  among 
the  most  clever  of  the  species. 

The  same  confusion  prevailed  at  all  official  and 
semi-official  offices  in  Havana  at  this  time.  Ex- 
press was  carried  on  the  railroad  but  there  was  no 
system  of  collecting  from  shippers.  Parcels  were 
received  at  the  office  of  the  company  only  during 
certain  hours  of  the  day.  Long  before  the  hour 
for  opening,  parties  would  line  up  outside  the  ex- 
press office  door  at  the  railway  station  in  order  to 
get  their  parcel  weighed,  receipted,  and  marked; 
then  passing  to  another  window  pay  the  charges, 
noted  on  a slip  of  paper  given  the  shipper  by  the 
clerk  receiving  the  goods.  Thus  hours  of  time 
were  lost.  The  post-office  was  no  better  managed. 
Hours  were  required  to  go  through  the  formalities 
necessary  to  obtain  a registered  parcel.  Inefficiency 
reigned  supreme. 

But  to  return  to  the  present  trip.  Our  tickets 


36  CRUSADING  IN  THE  WEST  INDIES 


purchased,  we  made  our  way  through  the  crowded 
gate  into  the  third-class  car  and  were  fortunate 
enough  to  secure  a seat,  though  many  were  stand- 
ing before  the  train  pulled  out  of  the  station.  The 
railway  system  of  Cuba  carries  two  classes  of  pas- 
senger coaches,  first  and  third;  second-class  being 
considered  undemocratic.  The  missionaries  almost 
always  travelled  third-class,  thereby  making  a sav- 
ing of  one-half  in  the  cost  of  transportation. 

Should  missionaries  travel  first  or  second-class? 
In  other  words,  should  they  always  avail  them- 
selves of  the  cheapest  means  of  transportation,  is 
a question  that  occasionally  comes  up  for  discus- 
sion and  is  one  that  can  never  be  dogmatically  an- 
swered, so  much  depends  upon  the  circumstances 
under  which  travelling  is  done.  When  purchasing 
tickets  for  transportation  for  myself  and  family  to 
Cuba,  I found  that  the  cost  of  a second-class  pas- 
sage was  but  half  that  of  first-class  and  asked  Dr. 
Dwight  if  we  had  not  better  secure  a second-class 
ticket,  thereby  making  a saving  for  the  Society. 
His  answer  was  a most  decided  No,  travelling  in 
the  Tropics  is  a severe  strain  with  the  best  of  ac- 
commodations. You  will  be  entering  upon  your 
duties  immediately  and  there  is  all  the  difference 
in  the  world  between  arriving  feeling  fresh,  and 
feeling  as  though  you  had  been  drawn  through  a 
knot-hole;  which  would  be  the  case  if  you  went 
second-class.”  In  this  case  his  was  doubtless  wise 
counsel:  for,  had  we  taken  a second-class  passage 


CUBA 


37 


to  Cuba,  I doubt  if  I should  have  been  in  as  good 
condition  to  stand  the  strain  of  the  next  few  days. 
From  Havana  to  Santa  Clara  is  a ten  hours'  run 
and  the  first-class  railway  fare  was  about  twelve 
dollars.  Another  five  dollars  for  Pullman  made 
seventeen  in  all.  The  third-class  fare  was  about 
six  dollars.  True,  the  seats  of  the  third-class  car- 
riages are  made  of  wooden  slats,  the  cars  are 
crowded  at  times,  and  at  night  especially,  un- 
pleasantly filled  with  tobacco  smoke.  The  saving 
in  money,  however,  is  eleven  dollars.  Moreover, 
as  a rule  only  the  wealthy  travel  first-class.  The 
great  majority  of  the  pastors  and  church  members 
could  not  afford  to  do  so,  and  if  the  missionary 
travelled  in  that  class  he  would  widen  the  breach 
between  himself  and  his  Cuban  co workers.  Hence 
the  wisdom  of  travelling  third-class  by  rail  is  easily 
seen. 

First  impressions  should  be  written  at  once  if 
they  are  to  be  faithfully  recorded,  as  they  are  likely 
to  fade  with  time.  Some  of  the  impressions  of 
that  first  Cuban  railway  trip,  however,  have  in- 
delibly impressed  themselves  upon  my  mind. 
Looking  out  of  the  window,  even  in  the  night,  I 
could  see  that  we  were  passing  through  cane  fields. 
The  mango  trees  were  also  recognizable  from  their 
shape  and  symmetrical  form,  having  been  seen  in 
India.  The  royal  palm,  however,  was  a new  tree, 
and  as  I saw  the  white  trunks  of  these  beautiful 
trees  standing  out  against  the  semi-darkness  of  the 


38  CRUSADING  IN  THE  WEST  INDIES 


night,  I supposed  they  had  been  whitewashed  to 
prevent  the  ravages  of  some  insect  pest,  or  disease. 
I learned  my  mistake  onl)*  in  the  morning. 

The  royal  palm  is  a distinctive  feature  of  the 
landscape  in  many  parts  of  Cuba.  This  palm  is 
found  in  irregular  groves  marking  the  mcander- 
ings  of  the  watercourses,  making,  with  its  white 
trunks  and  domes  of  bright  green,  veritable  shrines 
of  nature.  It  is  planted  in  long  avenues  leading  to 
the  residences  of  the  planters,  as  well  as  marking 
boundaries  and  roads.  Also  it  is  scattered  ever\*- 
where  throughout  the  fields.  At  a distance,  in 
parts  of  the  province  of  Matanzas,  the  tops  of 
these  trees  form  a line  across  the  horizon  which 
gives  the  appearance  of  a thick  green  roof  of  a 
magnificent  temple  supported  by  beautiful,  white 
colonnades.  It  is  the  presence  of  this  palm  which 
lends  to  the  Yamuri  Valley,  one  of  the  famous 
views  of  Cuba,  its  peculiar  beauty. 

Not  only  does  this  stately  and  magnificent  tree 
enhance  the  beauty  of  the  landscape,  but  it  is  emi- 
nently useful  as  well.  Its  wood  is  used  for  build- 
ing, the  leaves  are  han^ested  for  thatching,  it  bears 
quantities  of  a berr>’-like  seed  that  is  valuable  for 
fattening  hogs.  The  base  of  the  long  leaf  which 
is  thin  and  nearly  encircles  the  tree  is  carefully  de- 
tached and  used  for  various  purposes.  It  forms 
the  walls  of  huts  and  the  baling  of  leaf  tobacco. 
A few  feet  of  this  same  base  cut  off,  slit  at  the 
ends  and  folded  over,  forms  a trough  which  is 


CUBA 


39 


used  as  a wash-tub  by  the  women,  from  one  end 
to  the  other  of  the  Island,  as  they  do  their  laundry 
at  the  banks  of  the  streams  and  rivers.  There  are 
also  many  other  uses  to  which  various  parts  of  the 
tree  are  put.  Each  royal  palm  is  a constant  source 
of  income  to  its  owner. 

Besides  this  and  the  cocoanut  palm,  there  are 
some  thirty  other  species  of  palm  in  the  Island  of 
Cuba  alone.  One  in  particular  which  I do  not 
think  is  found  elsewhere,  and  which,  as  far  as  I 
know,  is  confined  exclusively  to  a small  section  of 
the  province  of  Pinar  del  Rio.  This  is  called  lo- 
cally the  pot-bellied  palm.  This  palm  is  not  at 
all  an  imposing  tree.  On  the  contrary  it  is  delicate 
and  somewhat  scrubby  in  appearance.  But  it  is  a 
distinguishing  feature  of  the  landscape  where  it  is 
found.  It  derives  its  name  from  an  immense 
barrel-like  expansion  of  the  trunk  a few  feet  above 
the  ground.  Immediately  above  this  expansion  the 
trunk  again  assumes  normal  proportions.  This 
protuberance  probably  prevents  the  slender  trunk 
from  breaking  during  the  hurricanes  that  visit  the 
Island. 

The  night  spent  on  the  rough  hard  bench  of  the 
third-class  coach  between  Havana  and  Santa  Clara 
was  long  and  tedious.  The  seats  formed  of  slats 
proved  quite  uncomfortable.  I learned  from  ex- 
perience that  carrying  a pillow  or  cushion  helped 
considerably  with  one’s  comfort  on  these  trips. 

Wc  arrived  at  our  destination  just  at  daybreak 


40  CEUSADLS'G  IN  THE  WEST  INDIES 


and  proceeded  immediately  to  a hotel,  nm  by  a 
Spaniard,  secured  a room  and  tried  to  rest  a little 
before  breakfasting  and  beginning  the  work  of  the 
day.  The  hotel  business,  as  well  as  the  commerce 
of  Cuba,  is  largely  in  the  hands  of  Spaniards.  In 
fact,  there  seems  to  be  a pretty  general  determina- 
tion on  their  part  if  not  an  actual  organization  to 
keep  the  Cubans  out  of  business  by  withholding 
credit  and  patronage  when  the  Cuban  does  attempt 
to  enter  any  commercial  line. 

The  Cuban  breakfast  consists  of  coffee  and 
bread  or  rolls.  This  bread  is  placed  on  the  table 
in  baskets  and  each  guest  helps  himself  according 
to  his  need.  Cuban  bread  is  a long  crusty  produc- 
tion baked  like  a roll — more  holes  than  substance. 
To  apply  the  terminology  of  the  small  boy’s  de- 
scription of  the  doughnut,  the  loaf  is  composed  of 
a collection  of  holes  with  a crust  around  them. 
!Many  Americans  are  very  fond  of  it  at  first  be- 
cause of  its  crustiness.  It  lacks  in  sweetness,  how- 
ever, and  the  American  housewife  in  Cuba,  after 
being  pleased  with  it  for  a short  time,  generally 
prefers  to  make  her  own  bread.  When  we  are  rec- 
ognized as  Americans,  knowing  our  custom  of 
eating  butter  with  bread,  a rancid,  cheesy  butter 
imported  from  Spain  is  also  provided.  Better  let 
it  alone. 

Coffee,  as  prepared  by  the  Cuban,  we  consider 
delicious.  The  berry’  is  roasted  much  more  than 
with  us,  the  process  being  continued  until  it  is 


CUBA 


41 


black  instead  of  brown.  To  be  at  its  best,  coffee 
must  be  roasted  and  ground  the  day  it  is  to  be  used. 
Then  it  loses  none  of  its  aroma.  So  much  superior 
is  coffee  the  day  it  is  roasted  that  many  families 
living  in  the  tropics  prepare  it  as  used.  The  bever- 
age is  made  by  the  dripping  process,  placing  the 
ground  coffee  in  canvas  bags  and  pouring  hot  water 
through  it,  thereby  securing  a black  extract.  This 
extract  is  kept  hot  as  is  also  the  milk  to  be  used 
with  it.  When  you  take  your  seat  at  the  table  the 
waiter  stands  at  your  elbow  with  a pot  in  each 
hand.  From  the  one  he  pours  into  your  cup  or 
glass  the  boiling  coffee  until  you  indicate  by  rais- 
ing the  hand  that  the  quantity  is  sufficient.  Then 
from  the  other  he  fills  the  cup  with  hot  milk. 
Whether,  or  not,  the  extra  roasting  destroys  in 
part  the  deleterious  effect  of  the  caffeine,  I do  not 
know.  It  certainly  improves  the  flavor.  While 
a cup  of  coffee  taken  at  night  at  home  would  have 
the  effect  of  keeping  me  awake,  in  Cuba  it  has  the 
opposite  effect. 

At  the  hotel  table  everything  except  bread  and 
sugar  is  usually  serv^ed  on  the  European  plan.  The 
first  course  at  meals,  other  than  breakfast,  consists 
of  a thick  soup  or  stew.  This  always  contains 
many  different  ingredients : potatoes,  yams,  casava, 
green  bananas,  pieces  of  corn  on  the  cob,  Spanish 
peas,  beans,  etc.  Besides  the  meat  that  forms  the 
basis  of  the  soup,  bits  of  smoked  sausage  or  ham 
are  added.  A few  olives  and  onions  are  generally 


42  CRUSADING  IN  THE  WEST  INDIES 


present,  together  with  an}i:hing  else  that  may  add 
to  its  flavor;  and  finally,  and  always,  garlic — an 
onion-like  vegetable  which  for  odor  and  tainting 
the  breath  has  the  onion  whipped  to  a frazzle.  No 
one  can  say  that  a Cuban  soup  is  not  a tasty  dish. 
It  requires  a cultivated  taste,  however,  to  pro- 
nounce it  delicious. 

After  the  soup,  fish  and  three  or  four  different 
kinds  of  meat  are  ser\*ed  with  every  meal ; a stew, 
a roast,  beefsteak,  and  a dish  of  codfish,  dried  beef, 
or  tripe.  The  meat  is  always  well  cooked.  I do 
not  remember  to  have  been  offered  a piece  of  tough 
meat  in  all  of  my  travels  in  the  Island.  One  soon 
tires,  however,  of  so  much  meat  in  the  diet.  Lard 
is  used  so  extensively  in  the  cooking  that  its  greasi- 
ness renders  much  of  it  distasteful.  -- 

Cubans  are  very  fond  of  boiled  rice  serv'ed  as  a 
vegetable  with  meats  and  they  ser\*e  it  in  a variety 
of  dishes.  One  of  the  favorites  is  “ paella,”  a 
mixture  of  rice  with  various  meats  with  a sweet 
red  pepper  spread  over  the  top.  Rice  and  shrimp, 
rice  and  codfish,  rice  and  young  cuttlefish,  also 
appear  on  the  menu.  The  most  popular  of  such 
mLxtures  is  rice  and  chicken.  In  the  latter  the  rice 
is  boiled  in  chicken  broth,  after  which  the  cooked 
meat  of  the  chicken  is  cut  up  and  mixed  through  it. 
Even  foreigners  like  the  latter  dish;  though  the 
ever  present  garlic  spoils  it  for  many.  The  Cuban 
cook  never  prepares  a meat  dish  of  any  kind  with- 
out a liberal  supply  of  garlic  as  an  ingredient. 


CUBA 


43 


Mrs.  Jordan  used  to  tell  me  that  I was  not  fit  to 
live  with  for  a week  after  returning  from  a trip. 
This  was  meant  as  a joke  but  was  sensibly  true  be- 
cause of  the  odor  of  garlic  clinging  to  the  breath. 

Most  of  the  pastry  served  for  dessert  is  too  rich 
for  our  appetites.  One  of  the  desserts,  however, 
deserves  special  mention.  The  guava  paste,  called 
in  England  and  Jamaica  guava  cheese,  is  eaten 
with  real  cheese  and  has  but  to  be  tasted  in  order 
to  be  liked.  Small  cups  of  black  coffee  follow  each 
meal  except  breakfast,  at  which  meal  coffee  and 
milk  are  served  in  the  manner  before  described. 

Now  that  we  are  at  table,  note  the  disposition  of 
the  napkin.  It  is  placed  under  the  plate  and  hangs 
over  the  edge  of  the  table.  Do  not  think  your 
unsophisticated  Cuban  guest  is  ill  bred,  in  case  he 
wipes  his  lips  and  fingers  on  the  edge  of  the  table- 
cloth at  the  close  of  the  meal.  It  is  not  because  he 
is  not  accustomed  to  the  use  of  the  table-napkin; 
but  because  there,  hanging  over  the  edge  of  the 
table,  is  where  he  has  been  accustomed  to  find  it. 
Not  finding  the  napkin  in  its  accustomed  place  he 
takes  it  for  granted  that  he  is  supposed  to  use  the 
table-cloth  instead.  Many  international  misunder- 
standings are  as  easy  of  explanation  as  this,  when 
we  take  the  trouble  to  inquire  into  them. 

All  hotels  are  not  as  cleanly  as  the  one  at  which 
we  stayed  in  Santa  Clara.  I find  in  one  of  my 
letters  to  Mrs.  Jordan  a description  of  a meal  at  a 
country  inn,  in  this  same  province  two  years  later. 


44  CRUSADING  IN  THE  WEST  INDIES 


There  were  ants  in  the  sugar,  flies  crawling  over 
the  food,  several  mosquito  larvse  in  the  glass  of 
drinking  water,  a fine  fat  worm  three-quarters  of 
an  inch  long  in  my  plate  of  rice  and  beans.  I also 
found  it  impossible  to  keep  the  gnats  out  of  my 
eyes  while  eating.  Such  are  country  experiences 
in  some  parts  of  Cuba.  In  this  case,  however,  we 
were  more  than  repaid  for  the  lively  time  at 
luncheon  in  the  cordial  reception  by  the  villagers 
and  the  large  number  of  books  we  were  able  to 
dispose  of  in  this  out-of-the-way  place. 

How  shall  I describe  the  instrument  of  torture, 
for  the  heavy  man,  called  in  Cuba  a bed.  True,  it 
consists  of  a frame  and  springs ; but  here  its  like- 
ness to  the  American  article  ends.  On  the  bare 
springs  a thin  quilt  is  spread,  and  on  the  quilt  are 
placed  two  stiffly  starched  sheets,  one  intended  for 
cover.  These  sheets  have  as  much  affinity  for 
each  other  as  a couple  of  cakes  of  glare  ice  on  a 
frosty  day.  The  round  pillow  stuffed  with  seeds 
of  the  cottonwood  tree  instead  of  feathers  is  soon 
discarded  and  you  lie  on  your  back  painfully  con- 
scious of  all  of  the  irregularities  of  the  springs 
beneath,  as  well  as  of  the  lumps  in  the  cotton  quilt. 
Soon  the  slippery  starched  sheet  with  which  you 
are  covered  slides  to  the  floor;  and  you  are  for- 
tunate if,  while  you  reach  for  it,  the  other  does  not 
slip  from  under  you.  At  this  season  of  the  year, 
November,  the  nights  are  cool  and  these  articles 
are  needed.  Frequently  after  tossing  restlessly 


CUBA 


45 


trying  to  get  the  necessary  sleep  one  wakens  to  find 
that  both  sheets  and  quilt  have  eluded  captivity, 
and  that  he  is  lying  on  the  bare  springs.  I have 
occasionally  secured  a night’s  rest  by  spreading  the 
quilt  on  the  smooth  tiled  floor.  This  cannot  be 
done,  however,  in  the  mosquito  season,  as  the  bed 
frames  are  covered  with  netting  to  keep  out  the 
dangerous  pests ; and  one  must  remain  underneath 
this  necessary  protection.  No  matter  how  good 
the  hotel  accommodation  may  be  otherwise,  one  is 
always  glad  to  get  back  to  the  land  of  felt  mat- 
tresses and  unstarched  sheets. 

Santa  Clara  is  the  central  point  for  conventions, 
and  is  comparatively  high  and  cool.  It  is  also  one 
of  the  centres  of  the  work  of  the  Methodist,  Bap- 
tist and  Presb)d;erian  missions,  each  having  a 
church  in  the  City.  This  particular  conference  was 
held  in  the  property  of  the  Methodists.  Many  pa- 
pers were  read  and  discussed  on  different  phases 
of  the  work  of  the  young  people;  as  well  as  on 
Sunday-school  work.  Mr.  Reoseco  gave  an  ad- 
dress on  the  importance  of  Bible  circulation  in  the 
work  of  evangelization. 

I was  much  pleased  to  learn  that,  although  it 
was  my  first  experience  in  hearing  Spanish  spoken, 
I could  follow  the  arguments  of  all  the  addresses. 
The  mental  effort  was  somewhat  taxing,  however. 
What  confused  me  most  was,  perhaps,  the  sound 
of  the  c ” and  “ z.”  Books  that  I had  studied 
told  me  that  “ c ” before  “ e ” and  “ i ” was  pro- 


46  CKUSADING  IN  THE  WEST  INDIES 


nounccd  like  “ th  ” and  the  same  sound  was  given 
to  “ z ” before  “ a ” and  “ o.”  This  is  emphatically 
not  the  case,  anywhere  in  Spanish  America,  except 
perhaps  in  Uruguay.  C ” before  a vowel  is  al- 
ways pronounced  like  “ s and  so  is  “ z,”  and  I 
counsel  all  beginners  in  Spanish,  who  intend  to  use 
this  language  anywhere  in  Latin  America,  not  to 
attempt  to  give  either  of  these  letters  the  “ th  ’’ 
sound.  This  sound  is  given  to  them  only  in  parts 
of  Spain.  Outside  of  Spain  the  s ” sound  is  used 
exclusively.  It  is  true,  natives  from  those  parts 
of  Spain  coming  to  America  generally  retain  their 
peculiar  lisp  but  it  disappears  with  the  second  gen- 
eration, if  they  continue  to  reside  in  America. 
Outside  of  Spain  itself  this  pronunciation  is  con- 
sidered affected.  ' 

At  this  convention  in  Santa  Clara  I met  many 
who  have  ever  since  been  fast  friends  and  es- 
teemed coworkers  in  all  efforts  for  the  extension 
of  the  Kingdom  in  Spanish  America.  There  were 
representatives  of  the  Northern  and  Southern  Bap- 
tists, the  Northern  and  Southern  Presbyterians, 
Methodists,  Friends,  Congregationalists  and  Dis- 
ciples. The  papers  were  good  and  the  discussions 
animated  and  interesting.  Especially  was  the  con- 
vention helpful  to  me  in  giving  me  an  acquaintance 
with  the  workers  and  a knowledge  of  the  field; 
which,  without  its  help,  I should  have  been  long  in 
acquiring. 

It  was  an  animated  car-full  of  care-free  Cubans 


CUBA 


47 


that  left  Santa  Clara  the  night  of  our  return  to 
Havana.  Most  were  smoking  cigarettes,  groups 
were  engaged  in  conversation;  some  soldiers  were 
singing  a patriotic  air  in  which  several  of  the  pas- 
sengers joined.  All  at  once  the  car  left  the  rails 
and  started  swaying  and  bouncing  along  the  ties. 
Never,  before  or  since,  have  I seen  such  a sudden 
change  from  joy  to  terror.  Instantly  all  of  us 
were  on  our  feet  attempting  to  maintain  ourselves 
in  a standing  position  by  holding  on  to  the  backs 
of  the  seats.  The  air  was  filled  with  the  screams 
of  women  who  involuntarily  caught  hold,  each  of 
the  nearest  man  to  her,  and  clung  to  him  for  pro- 
tection. No  one  knew  what  had  happened.  It 
might  mean  the  beginnings  of  another  revolution, 
or  an  attack  by  bandits.  The  train  finally  came  to 
a standstill,  however,  and  we  learned  that  the  trou- 
ble was  the  result  of  a loose  rail.  The  ground  was 
level  and  the  derailed  car  did  not  overturn.  One 
man,  a tramp,  who  had  been  trying  to  steal  a ride 
underneath  the  first-class  car  at  the  rear,  was  killed. 
After  considerable  delay  the  passengers  of  the 
three  derailed  cars  were  told  to  crowd  forward  into 
those  still  on  the  track  and  the  train  proceeded. 
Mr.  Hubbard,  Mr.  Baker  and  myself  found  stand- 
ing room  in  the  baggage-car  and  continued  our 
journey  to  the  next  station.  Here  we  were  obliged 
to  wait  for  several  hours,  arriving  in  Havana  about 
midday  instead  of  in  the  early  morning  as  we  had 
anticipated. 


Ill 


CUBA  {Continued) 

A CIRCULAR  letter  had  been  sent  out  noti- 
fying the  Christian  workers  in  Cuba  of 
the  retirement  of  Mr.  Reoseco  and  of  my 
appointment  to  the  work.  We  received  many  let- 
ters of  welcome  from  pastors  all  over  the  Island. 
There  was  one  feature  of  these  letters  that  struck 
me  as  being  especially  agreeable,  showing  the  hos- 
pitality of  the  Cuban.  Every  one  of  them,  at  the 
close,  gave  the  address  of  the  writer  with  an  in- 
vitation to  make  his  home  mine  when  I should 
visit  the  town.  These  spontaneous  invitations 
seemed  very  thoughtful  indeed  and  would,  I 
thought,  simplify  matters  considerably  when  I 
should  be  visiting  those  places  for  the  first  time. 
Therefore,  on  my  first  trip  in  the  interests  of  the 
Society,  I looked  up  the  letter  I had  received  from 
the  native  pastor  of  the  place  I was  to  visit,  se- 
, cured  his  address,  and  upon  arrival  asked  the 
coachman  to  take  me  to  the  home  of  the  pastor.  I 
was  somewhat  surprised,  when  the  coach  stopped, 
to  note  the  smallness  of  the  house,  and  later  to  see 
the  largeness  of  the  pastor’s  family.  I saw  at 
once  that  it  would  be  impossible  for  them  to  give 
me  a room  and  escaped  from  the  predicament  I 

48 


CUBA 


49 


was  in  by  asking  him  to  tell  me  of  some  good  hotel. 
This  was,  for  me,  a practical  lesson  in  Spanish 
etiquette. 

On  making  a new  acquaintance  a Latin  Ameri- 
can almost  always  gives  his  own  name  and  street 
number  with  the  words,  “ There  is  where  you  have 
your  home,'’  even  though  he  has  not  the  slightest 
idea  that  the  person  addressed  will  ever  visit  him 
or  enter  his  house.  Mere  empty  words  ” we  were 
inclined  to  say ! Hypocritical  too ! I do  not  know 
about  it.  Let  us  consider  a moment.  ...  If 
we  were  in  need  of  shelter  or  food,  the  Cuban 
would  share  his  one  room  with  us;  or,  his  last 
morsel.  His  first  invitation  may  be  taken  to  mean, 
“If  you  are  in  need,  my  house  and  board  are  at 
your  disposal.”  Before  accepting  an  invitation  of 
the  kind,  therefore,  one  should  always  await  a sec- 
ond invitation.  If  he  really  wishes  you  to  accept, 
the  Spanish  American  will  press  the  matter.  The 
first  invitation  to  share  his  hospitality  should  there- 
fore be  declined  with  thanks.  The  generosity  of 
the  Spanish  American  is  almost  proverbial.  A man 
who  has  a position  and  is  drawing  but  a small 
salary  will  frequently  support  a large  number  of 
relatives,  less  fortunate  than  himself.  Very  poor 
people  frequently  take  into  their  homes  those  who 
are  not  relatives,  but  who  have  no  one  else  to  pro- 
vide for  them.  The  custom  of  adopting  homeless 
children  is  much  more  general  with  them  than  with 
us. 


50  CEUSADDsG  IN  THE  WEST  INDIES 


Cubans  have  the  custom  of  offering  to  their 
friends  in  this  formal  way,  any  article  which  the 
friend  admires,  expecting  the  offer  to  be  refused, 
as  a matter  of  course.  Foreigners,  not  familiar 
with  the  custom,  are  apt  to  be  embarrassed,  not 
knowing  just  what  to  say.  On  the  other  hand  if 
the  offer  is  accepted  the  Spanish  American  friend 
is  embarrassed. 

I wonder  if  these  customs,  which  we  are  in- 
clined to  criticise,  are  not  eminently  Christian  in 
their  origin.  When  a Spanish  gentlemen  on  being 
accosted  by  you  says:  ‘‘Your  ser\^ant,  sir,”  or, 
“ I place  myself  at  your  service,”  does  not  this  ex- 
pression hark  back  through  the  centuries  to  the 
command  of  Him  who  said,  “ Let  him  who  would 
be  greatest  among  you  be  serv^ant  of  all”;  and  is 
there  not  implied  in  the  offering  of  the  service, 
hospitality,  or  gift,  the  supposition  that  you  will 
not  accept  it  unless  in  need?  Let  us  not  criticise 
the  custom  too  severely.  There  is  perhaps  more 
to  it  than  appears  on  the  surface. 

A countr>’  house  in  Cuba  is  a very  simple  affair, 
except  on  the  large  sugar  plantations,  where  houses 
are  built  for  the  laborer  by  the  sugar  companies 
near  and  around  the  mills  and  refineries.  Here  the 
sugar  industry  has  developed  into  a highly  special- 
ized and  complicated  manufacturing  concern  and 
conditions  approach  those  of  a town  or  village. 
Cuban  country  or  village  houses  are  built  by  laying 
timbers  on  the  ground,  to  which  are  attached  up- 


CUBAN  VILLAGE  HOUSE  UNDER  CONSTRUCTION. 
FISHERMEN’S  HOMES,  ESPERANZA,  CUBA. 


■ K ‘ 


, ;4, 


t 


'Vb 


id- 


.A* 

u . 


a,,- 


CUBA 


61 


rights  running  to  the  upper  timbers  that  support 
the  roof.  The  roof  is  either  thatched  or  of  red 
brick  tile.  The  floor  is  formed  by  earth  firmly 
packed  between  the  foundation  beams  of  the  house, 
bringing  the  floor  thus  higher  than  the  level  of  the 
surrounding  ground.  This  keeps  it  dry  during  the 
rainy  season.  The  sides  are  formed  of  rough 
boards  or  leaves  of  the  palm  tree,  sometimes  nailed 
and  sometimes  tied  to  the  uprights  by  strong 
withes  or  vines. 

The  furnishings  of  the  house  are  usually  a rough 
table  and  a few  chairs,  the  seats  of  which  are 
made  of  untanned  cowhide  with  the  hair  on,  and  a 
rude  bed  or  hammock.  The  walls  are  hung  with 
pictures  of  the  Saints,  the  Virgin,  and  cheap, 
highly  colored  chromos  from  calendars,  tobacco 
and  liquor  advertisements,  etc.,  etc. 

In  a country  where  wages  rule  so  high  as  they 
do  in  Cuba  one  is  surprised  to  find  the  laboring 
people  content  to  live  so  uncomfortably.  Why 
does  the  laborer  not  buy  a piece  of  land  and  put 
up  a comfortable  home?  The  answer  is  that  the 
vice  of  gambling,  cock-fighting  and  the  purchase 
of  lottery  tickets  take  everything  he  has  over  and 
above  a bare  living. 

The  national  sport  of  cock-fighting  is  a disgust- 
ing amusement.  Trimmed  for  fighting,  the  cock 
is  an  ugly  looking  bird.  The  comb  and  feathers  of 
his  neck  are  cropped  close  so  that  his  opponent 
may  have  nothing  to  seize.  The  last  time  I was  in 


62  CRUSADING  IN  THE  WEST  INDIES  “ 

Cuba,  railroad  regulations  were  such  that  by  pay- 
ing transportation  for  the  rooster  its  owner  could 
take  it  into  the  third-class  carriage  with  him.  I 
have  travelled  in  Eastern  Cuba  from  Camaguey  to 
Santiago,  when  there  were  many  of  these  birds  in 
the  third-class  compartment.  During  the  day  they 
were  the  object  of  great  solicitude  on  the  part  of 
their  owners  who  took  constant  care  of  them.  To 
cool  the  birds,  the  men  would  fill  their  own  mouths, 
from  time  to  time,  with  water  and  give  them  a 
shower  bath,  by  blowing  a spray  all  over  them, 
especially  under  the  wings.  This  spray  not  only 
reaches  the  bird;  but  near-by  passengers  receive  a 
liberal  share  as  well.  When  riding  at  night,  the  car 
smells  like  a chicken  coop  before  morning  and  the 
early  morning  hours  are  rendered  sleepless  by  the 
constant  crowing  of  the  pampered  birds.  I have 
never  witnessed  a cock-fight  but  I have  seen  the 
crowd  yelling  and  gesticulating  around  the  cock- 
pit, acting  as  though  their  lives  depended  on  the 
victory  of  their  particular  bird.  The  owner  of  the 
victorious  rooster  carries  him  in  triumph  from  the 
pit,  washing  him,  dressing  his  wounds  and  caring 
for  him,  as  though  he  were  human,  in  order  that 
he  may  quickly  regain  his  strength  and  be  ready  for 
another  fight. 

One  of  the  sources  of  the  support  of  the  Cuban 
government  is  the  income  from  sale  of  lottery 
tickets.  Government  agents  selling  these  tickets 
are  to  be  seen  everywhere,  standing  on  the  street 


CUBA 


5S 

corners,  in  the  cafes,  at  the  doors  of  the  hotels, 
and  railway  stations,  in  the  waiting  rooms,  and 
boarding  trains  as  they  pass  through  stations, 
shouting  out  the  numbers  of  the  tickets  they  have 
for  sale  and  appealing  to  all  to  buy.  The  tickets 
are  divided  into  fractional  parts  which  are  sold  as 
low  as  fifty  cents.  Many  people  put  all  their  spare 
money  into  the  lottery,  hoping  some  day  to  draw 
the  grand  prize  and  become  rich.  Some  laborers 
spend  as  much  as  three-fourths  of  their  earnings 
for  lottery  tickets,  living  on  the  merest  pittance  in 
the  hope  of  some  day  having  enough  money  to 
satisfy  all  their  earthly  ambitions.  As  there  are 
drawings  every  month,  the  temptation  to  try  one’s 
luck  and  the  consequent  drain  upon  the  resources 
of  the  poor  is  constant.  Besides  the  grand  prize, 
several  minor  prizes  are  given  out.  The  names  of 
those  drawing  prizes  are  widely  advertised  in  the 
newspapers  in  order  to  encourage  the  people  to 
continue  buying.  In  their  eyes,  however,  nothing 
short  of  the  grand  prize  is  to  be  striven  for.  Gen- 
erally the  amount  drawn  is  immediately  squan- 
dered. Our  cook  once  drew  five  dollars.  She 
asked  for  a day  off,  immediately,  and  made  a feast 
for  her  friends  which  cost  between  six  and  seven 
dollars.  Thus  the  Cuban  government  exploits  the 
weakness  of  its  people. 

The  absolute  necessities  of  existence  are  so  easily 
obtained  in  Cuba  that  they  in  themselves  do  not 
present  much  incentive  for  economy.  No  food  is 


64  CRUSADING  IN  THE  WEST  INDIES 


necessary  to  produce  heat,  and,  during  the  greater 
part  of  the  year,  clothing  is  worn  for  decency  only, 
and  not  for  protection  against  the  inclemency  of 
the  weather.  In  country  places  the  children  of 
•both  sexes  frequently  go  entirely  naked  until  six 
or  seven  years  of  age.  In  Havana  during  1908- 
1910  it  was  not  unusual  to  see  a child  stalking 
proudly  down  the  street,  clothed  in  nothing  but 
smiles,  sunshine,  and  a pair  of  shoes.  There  is  a 
growing  sentiment,  however,  against  allowing  chil- 
dren to  run  about  on  the  streets  in  nature’s  garb. 

I wish  I could  get  Mrs.  Jordan  to  describe  house- 
keeping in  the  Tropics.  As  I cannot,  I will  just 
refer  to  it.  At  first  she  tried  to  do  her  own  cook- 
ing, on  an  alcohol  stove,  as  she  could  not  endure 
working  over  the  poison  fumes  of  the  charcoal, 
which  is  the  fuel  used  exclusively  in  the  open  grates 
of  the  Cuban  kitchen. 

There  are  restaurants  in  Havana  that  send  out 
ready-cooked  meals  to  the  offices  and  residences  of 
patrons.  They  send  the  food  in  carriers  divided 
into  compartments,  placed  one  upon  another.  A 
handle  runs  through  the  whole  serving  as  a bail  by 
which  it  is  carried.  As  these  restaurants  also 
furnish  the  dishes,  sending  a boy  to  gather  them 
up  when  the  meal  is  over,  the  arrangement  seemed 
to  be  an  ideal  one.  We  inquired  the  prices  at  one 
of  the  caterers  of  this  class,  and  they  seemed  so 
reasonable  that  we  decided  to  order  one  meal  a 
day  sent  to  the  house. 


CUBA 


55 


The  first  meal  sent  from  the  restaurant  was  a 
change,  so  entirely  different  from  what  we  had 
been  having  that  it  went  finely.  The  following  day 
it  was  eaten  with  not  quite  so  much  relish,  and  the 
memories  of  the  third  meal  are  with  us  yet.  After 
uncovering  the  dishes  and  catching  the  odor  we 
could  not  bring  ourselves  to  the  point  where  we 
had  courage  to  tackle  the  food.  I can  assure  my 
readers  that  codfish  that,  after  being  dried  in  the 
sun,  has  been  packed  in  holds  of  vessels  and 
shipped  to  the  tropics,  where  it  has  lain  exposed 
until  sold,  is  a quite  different  article  from  that 
sold  in  the  stores  at  home.  Also  the  dried  beef, 
used  so  largely  in  Cuba  and  imported  from  the 
Argentine,  as  the  codfish  is  imported  from  Nova 
Scotia,  has  a very  different  flavor  from  dried  beef 
that  we  know  in  the  home  land.  The  garlic  used 
in  the  cooking,  strong  as  it  is,  is  not  sufficient  to 
kill  the  peculiar  odor  of  the  fish  and  beef.  Twice 
we  made  the  attempt  to  eat  food  prepared  in  these 
places,  the  next  time  trying  another  restaurant. 

We  found  the  Chinese  laundrymen  of  Havana 
reliable  and  satisfactory.  They  handled  a family 
wash  very  cheaply.  The  large  colony  of  Orientals 
in  Cuba  seems  to  be  prospering.  There  are  many 
Chinese  gardeners  in  the  vicinity  of  the  Capital 
raising  vegetables  for  the  city  market.  These  in- 
dustrious citizens  of  the  Celestial  Republic  seem  to 
be  making  a good  living  supplying  but  a small  part 
of  Havana’s  needs. 


56  CEUSADING  IN  THE  WEST  INDIES 


Rich  as  Cuba  is  agriculturally  she  produces  but 
a small  portion  of  her  own  foodstuffs.  Hundreds 
of  thousands  of  dozens  of  eggs  are  imported  each 
year  from  the  United  States;  as  well  as  great  quan- 
tities of  potatoes,  cabbage,  and  other  vegetables. 
Rice  is  brought  from  India  and  China;  dried  beef, 
from  the  Argentine;  coffee,  from  Porto  Rico; 
peas  and  beans,  from  Mexico,  and  onions  and  gar- 
lic from  the  Canary  Island,  etc.;  in  spite  of  the 
fact  that  Cuba  has  land  well  adapted  to  raising 
all  of  these  crops.  As  a natural  result  food  is  ab- 
normally expensive,  making  living  cost  more  than 
might  be  expected  from  the  fertility  of  the  soil 
throughout  the  Island. 

In  the  West  Indies  as  well  as  in  all  tropical  coun- 
tries, the  housekeeper  must  be  on  constant  guard 
against  vermin.  Eternal  vigilance  is  the  price  of 
cleanliness.  In  Havana  fleas  are  a common  annoy- 
ance, especially  on  the  street-cars,  and  in  the  busi- 
ness section  of  the  city,  where  the  floors  are  not 
washed  daily.  These  are  cleanly  pests  compared 
with  certain  other  company  one  is  likely  to  bring 
from  his  trips  abroad. 

Early  in  1909,  having  occasion  to  go  to  Puerto 
Esperanza  by  the  night  boat,  I retired  early  in 
hopes  of  getting  a good  night’s  rest.  I was  soon 
disturbed,  however,  by  disagreeable  sensations 
which  I will  not  attempt  to  describe.  Turning  on 
the  light  at  the  head  of  the  bed,  I immediately 
discovered  the  causes  of  my  discomfort  scurrying 


CUBA 


67 


out  of  sight  over  the  coverlet  and  sheets  and  up 
the  side  of  the  bunk.  Not  particularly  pleased 
with  my  stateroom  company  I dressed  and  went 
on  deck,  reporting  to  one  of  the  officials  that  life 
below  was  impossible.  He  offered  me  another 
stateroom  which  I declined  with  thanks,  preferring 
to  remain  on  deck  rather  than  run  the  risk  of  an- 
other such  attack. 

On  my  return  I purchased  a deck  passage,  and 
took  my  place  among  the  laborers  in  the  fore  part 
of  the  ship.  The  Captain  saw  me  as  he  was  going 
to  dinner  and  sent  for  me  to  dine  with  him.  (Deck 
passengers  are  not  furnished  food.)  For  the  re- 
mainder of  the  trip  I was  his  guest.  I thought  he 
was  trying  to  atone  for  the  indignity  of  putting  me 
into  the  vermin-infested  stateroom.  I will  recipro- 
cate by  withholding  from  print  the  name  of  the 
boat  and  that  of  the  insect  that  so  disturbed  my 
tranquillity  and  cheated  me  out  of  the  much  needed 
night’s  sleep. 

Thereafter  when  taking  inter-island  or  coasting 
steamers,  I carried  a hammock,  and,  in  case  of 
necessity,  I would  use  it  to  avoid  undesirable 
company.  I found  that  when  travelling  much  in 
the  country  in  Cuba  and  Haiti,  it  is  wise  to  carry 
one’s  own  hammock  and  mosquito  netting;  for  in 
m.any  cases  the  beds  are  preoccupied  by  a hungry 
inhabitant  that  seems  to  have  great  fondness  for 
the  stranger. 

Any  words  or  phrases  at  my  command  are  ut- 


68  CEUSADIXG  m THE  WEST  DsDIES 


terly  inadequate  to  describe  the  beauty  of  the  land- 
scape of  Cuba,  the  delightfulness  of  its  climate  of 
never-ending  spring,  or  the  attractiveness  of  its 
winsome,  versatile,  and  lovable  inhabitants:  a veri- 
table earthly  paradise  the  gate  to  the  full  apprecia- 
tion and  enjo}Tnent  of  which  sin  alone  has  closed. 
An  air  that  is  always  balmy,  at  times  refreshingly 
cool,  and  never  oppressively  hot,  invites  to  long  ex- 
cursions among  waving  fields  of  luxuriant  cane 
which  an  apparently  inexhaustible  soil  produces  in 
tons  upon  tons  per  acre  and  whose  sweet  crystals 
reaching  the  ends  of  the  earth  through  the  arteries 
of  commerce  have  made  Cuba  rich  and  caused  her 
to  be  called  the  “ Sugar  bowl  of  the  world  ” ; or  to 
rambles  over  hillsides  rendered  exquisitely  fra- 
grant by  blossoming  coffee  plantations.  The  ma- 
jestically crowned  white-trunked  royal  palms,  the 
spreading  mango-tree,  the  feathery^  bamboo  and  the 
gracefully  swaying  cocoanut;  besides  a multi- 
tudinous variety  of  many-flavored  fruits,  and  of 
multi-hued  tropical  flowers,  butterflies,  and  other 
insects;  all  enhance  the  alluring  beauty  of  this  en- 
chanting land. 

Looking  seaward  advancing  from  the  lines 
where  azure  sky  and  deep-blue  ocean  meet,  the 
crystalline  waters  reflect  in  many  pleasing  com- 
binations of  rainbow  hues  the  colors  of  the  sands 
beneath. 

The  sunsets,  beautiful  at  all  times,  are  magnifi- 
cent during  the  rainy  season.  Nothing  can  excel  in 


CUBA 


69 


grandeur  the  appearance  of  the  approach  of  a 
thunder-storm  from  the  northeast  as  the  sun  is 
setting.  In  the  mountains  of  bright  billowy  clouds, 
piled  high  in  the  heavens,  flashes  of  forked  light- 
ning are  seen,  very  pale  indeed  in  comparison  with 
those  of  the  dark  recesses  below  where  the  vivid 
flashes  portray  the  immensity  of  the  forces  at 
work. 

At  night,  seated  on  the  flat  housetop  which  be- 
comes, during  the  greater  part  of  the  year,  a 
private  observatory  par  excellence,  because  of  its 
ease  of  access,  one  can  witness  the  galaxy  of  con- 
stellations, in  the  broad  expanse  between  the 
Southern  Cross  and  the  North  Star — both  of 
which  are  visible  at  this  latitude — in  their  mighty 
march  across  the  heavens. 

In  the  contemplation  of  nature  at  every  turn  the 
senses  are  gratified,  the  emotions  aroused,  the  im- 
agination appealed  to,  and  the  sense  of  reverence 
deepened  for  the  loving  Father,  who  through  His 
wonderful  works  thus  manifests  Himself  to  the 
children  of  men  and  demonstrates  His  love  for 
them. 

And  the  Cubans  themselves,  this  care- free  pleas- 
ure-loving people,  are  sociable,  affable,  hospitable, 
affectionate,  and  lovers  of  children  to  a degree  un- 
surpassed by  any  other  people.  If  the  Cubans  are 
won  from  the  slavery  of  sin  to  the  liberty  that  is  in 
Christ  Jesus  it  will  be  through  the  affections  rather 
than  by  the  cold  logic  of  polemics  or  the  clinching 


60  CKUSADIXG  IN  THE  WEST  INDIES 


of  arguments,  however  conclusive  these  in  them- 
selves may  be. 

After  all,  what  we  are  in  Cuba  for  is  to  lead  her 
sons  and  daughters  to  a personal  knowledge  of  the 
loving  Father  who  has  showered  His  gifts  upon 
and  around  them  with  such  unstinted  munificence. 

Once  visited,  Cuba  can  never  be  forgotten  nor 
looked  upon  with  indifference.  Again  and  again 
the  heart,  in  memory  and  in  imagination,  returns 
to  its  shores.  Personally  W’e  thank  God  for  the 
privilege  that  was  ours  of  representing  an  organ- 
ized effort  on  the  part  of  the  churches  of  America, 
through  the  American  Bible  Society,  to  place  in 
every  Cuban  home  the  message  of  love  and  sal- 
vation. 


IV 


CUBA  {Concluded) 

Bible  circulation  is,  and  has  been  from  the 
first,  an  important  factor  in  the  progress  of 
evangelical  Christianity  in  Latin  America. 
“ Back  to  the  Bible  ’’  is  the  motto  of  the  colporter 
of  the  Bible  Society,  as  he  strikes  out  adventur- 
ously into  unexplored  territory,  and  many  are  the 
trophies  brought  in  through  his  single-handed  ef- 
forts. The  Bible  is  often  the  opening  wedge,  pre- 
paring the  way  for  other  organized  mission  work ; 
and  the  acceptance  of  its  truths  by  some  one  indi- 
vidual frequently  becomes  the  nucleus  around 
which  crystallizes  the  faith  of  the  community,  and 
the  foundation  upon  which  a future  church  is  built. 
The  following  cases  will  illustrate  this  feature  of 
the  work  of  these  pioneer  Bible  sellers. 

Among  my  early  activities  in  Cuba  was  a visit 
to  one  such  hitherto  unoccupied  town,  the  Port  of 
Esperanza,  north  of  the  capital  of  the  Province  of 
Pinar  del  Rio.  Esperanza  had  no  religious  serv- 
ices whatever.  The  nearest  Roman  church  was 
several  miles  away  and  the  priest  seldom  visited 
the  place.  Our  colporter  living  in  the  interior  of 
the  Province  had  worked  across  country  to  this 

6i 


62  CBUSADING  IK  THE  WEST  INDIES 


port.  Such  was  his  success  in  selling  books  here 
and  in  the  surrounding  country,  and  so  enthusias- 
tic was  he  in  his  description  of  his  cordial  reception 
by  the  people,  that  I was  glad  to  avail  myself  of 
the  first  opportunity  to  visit  him  and  see  the  work. 

It  was  in  Esperanza  that  I had  the  privilege  of 
delivering  a gospel  message  for  the  first  time  in 
Spanish  to  an  individual  where  there  was  every 
evidence  that  the  seed  was  falling  into  good 
ground.  Sitting  at  the  door  of  the  house  where 
the  colporter  w'as  staying  was  a woman  whose 
every  appearance  indicated  that  she  was  fast  wast- 
ing away  with  tuberculosis.  I felt  a great  desire 
to  point  her  to  Christ,  and  said  something  regard- 
ing the  future  life  intended  to  draw  her  out. 

“ Do  you  believe  that?  ” said  she.  ‘‘  Yes,”  I re- 
plied, “don’t  you?”  “No,  I do  not  believe  any 
such  tomfoolery.  I believe  there  is  a God,  yes; 
but  life  after  death,  no.” 

Taking  out  my  Spanish  pocket-Bible  I asked  her 
if  I might  read  her  a few  passages  from  that  little 
book.  She  was  quite  willing  to  have  me  do  so.  I 
read  among  other  portions  the  Shepherd’s  Psalm, 
John  3:  16;  and  I finished  with  Revelation 
21:  17:  “And  the  Spirit  and  the  Bride  say  come, 
and  let  him  that  heareth  say  come ; and  him  that  is 
athirst  let  him  come;  and  whosoever  will  let  him 
take  the  water  of  life  freely.”  I shall  never  for- 
get the  growing  expression  of  interest  with  which 
she  regarded  me  as  I continued  reading.  “ Que 


CUBA 


63 


Bonito!”  (“How  beautiful!’*)  she  exclaimed  as 
I finished.  Finding  that  she  could  read,  I made 
her  a present  of  a New  Testament.  During  the 
two  or  three  days  that  I remained  in  the  place  we 
noticed  that  she  spent  most  of  her  time  reading 
with  intense  interest  her  newly  acquired  treasure. 

There  were  so  many  people  in  Puerto  Esperanza 
who  desired  the  establishment  of  religious  services 
that  I decided  to  see  what  could  be  done.  The 
Baptists  and  Methodists  were  nearest,  having  work 
in  Pinar  del  Rio.  I went  to  see  them  first. 
Neither  of  these  denominations  were  able  to  take 
up  the  new  work.  I then  went  to  see  the  late  Rev. 
Milton  Green,  D.  D.,  Superintendent  of  the  Pres- 
byterian Mission  in  Havana.  Dr.  Green  had  a 
young  preacher  whom  he  could  spare  from  another 
field ; and  after  visiting  the  town,  decided  to  send 
him  there  at  once. 

I was  present  when  the  church  of  Puerto  Es- 
peranza was  organized  some  time  later.  A widow 
and  her  five  grown  children  presented  themselves 
as  candidates  for  membership.  I asked  the  mother 
what  it  was  that  had  attracted  them  to  the  faith. 
She  informed  me  that  her  husband,  who  was  bed- 
ridden for  some  time  before  his  death,  had  a Bible 
that  he  used  to  read  every  day.  He  told  his  family 
that  that  book  contained  the  true  word  of  God. 
He  told  them  there  was  nothing  in  it  about  purga- 
tory, the  worship  of  the  Virgin,  protection  by  the 
Saints,  or  many  of  the  other  doctrines  taught  by 


64  CRUSADING  IN  THE  WEST  INDIES 


Rome.  This  teaching  of  the  father  had  prepared 
the  way;  so  that  when  the  mission  worker  came, 
teaching  only  the  doctrines  foimd  in  the  Book,  the 
family  gladly  received  the  Word. 

I serv^ed  my  apprenticeship  with  the  Bible  So- 
ciety in  Cuba,  travelling  a great  deal  of  the  time 
with  the  colporters  in  their  house-to-house  visita- 
tion ; thereby  becoming  familiar,  not  only  with  the 
use  of  the  language,  but  with  the  customs  of  the 
people  and  the  difficulties  our  workers  had  to  con- 
tend with.  The  tact  and  ability  of  some  of  these 
men  in  meeting  objections  and  selling  the  books 
to  those  who  were,  at  first,  indifferent  or  opposed 
was  frequently  astonishing  to  me. 

Once,  near  Cardenas,  a woman  on  being  offered 
a Bible  replied  very  decidedly  and  abruptly:  “ No, 
I am  an  Apostolic  Roman  Catholic.  I will  not 
look  at  the  book.”  To  which  the  colporter  replied, 
“ I am  an  Apostolic  Cuban  Catholic,”  placing  the 
emphasis  on  the  word  Cuban.  This  attracted  her 
attention.  He  went  on  to  explain  the  meaning  of 
the  word  Catholic,  and  to  show  that  Rome  had 
always  been  the  enemy  of  Cuban  liberty.  He  com- 
pletely won  her  attention  and  respect.  Whether 
the  sale  was  made  or  not,  I do  not  remember ; but 
he  had  succeeded  in  making  a friend. 

At  another  time  I took  a trip  with  Colporter 
Talavera,  from  Santiago  to  Santa  Clara.  We 
were  then  allowed  to  sell  Bibles  on  the  railway 
trains.  Sr.  Talavera  was  busy  all  day  long.  He 


CUBA 


65 


is  a quiet  unobtrusive  man,  and  I was  surprised  at 
his  success.  In  one  case  especially,  a Spaniard 
treated  him  very  abruptly;  saying  that  he  did  not 
believe  in  religion,  and  that  he  wanted  nothing  to 
do  with  the  Bible.  After  Sr.  Talavera  had  gone 
through  the  car  offering  the  book  to  others,  I again 
found  him  sitting  beside  this  same  man  engaged  in 
an  animated  conversation  about  something  that 
was  of  mutual  interest.  Talavera  finally  sold  the 
man  a Bible,  and  they  parted  the  best  of  friends. 

Another  colporter  of  an  entirely  different  type 
was  Don  Ramon  Pumpido,  a Spaniard,  an  ex- 
officer of  the  Spanish  army  of  occupation  in  Cuba. 
He  had  fought,  not  only  the  Cubans,  but  the 
American  army  at  Santiago.  Pumpido  was  con- 
verted in  Cienfuegos  and  joined  the  Baptist  Church 
there.  He  was  energetic  and  aggressive,  enthusias- 
tic and  insistent,  and  used  to  sell  a great  many 
books.  I often  wondered  that  people  did  not  get 
offended  at  his  persistence.  I suppose  it  was  be- 
cause they  appreciated  his  earnestness ; for  he  al- 
ways left  them  in  the  best  of  humor. 

Well  does  the  writer  remember  setting  Pumpido 
at  work  in  Cienfuegos.  The  month  was  July  and 
Cienfuegos  was  hot.  I had  been  out  in  the  morn- 
ing with  Sr.  Talavera,  had  come  in  for  lunch  and 
was  taking  the  usual  midday  siesta,”  in  the  home 
of  the  Rev.  Mr.  Sewell,  whose  guest  I was.  A 
visitor  was  announced.  Wondering  who,  in  Cuba, 
would  make  a call  in  the  middle  of  the  day,  I went 


66  CRIJSADIXG  IX  THE  WEST  IXDIES 


into  the  living-room,  and  whom  should  I find  but 
Sr.  Pumpido,  who  had  started  work  that  morning, 
and  to  whom  I had  given  books  enough,  as  I 
thought,  to  last  a beginner  a week.  He  was  cov- 
ered with  dust;  perspiration  was  streaming  do\s-n 
his  face ; his  collar  was  a rag  about  his  neck ; and 
his  shirt  wet  as  though  it  had  just  come  out  of 
the  wash-tub.  His  features,  however,  were  radi- 
ant. He  had  sold  all  his  books  and  had  returned 
for  more.  Most  cheerfully  I supplied  his  needs. 

We  had  a few  words  of  prayer  together,  thank- 
ing our  Father  for  His  blessing;  and  as  he  was 
leaving  I asked  where  he  was  going,  supposing  him 
to  be  on  his  way  home  for  a rest.  Oh^  he  replied, 
to  such  and  such  a street,  mentioning  the  point 
where  he  had  left  off  working.  “ \Miy,  man ! ” I 
said,  “ you  must  rest  in  the  middle  of  the  day  and 
start  out  again  when  it  becomes  cooler.  You  can 
never  stand  it  to  work  like  this  through  the  heat 
of  the  day.” 

Straightening  up  and  facing  me,  Sr.  Pumpido 
replied,  ‘‘  Sir,  I am  a Spanish  soldier.  I spent 
twenty  years  in  the  Spanish  army.  I am  accus- 
tomed to  the  sun  and  rain:  they  don’t  hurt  me.” 

I had  thought  that  first  day  Senor  Pumpido’s 
enthusiasm  would  soon  wane.  I was  mistaken.  A 
corded  bundle  of  nerv^es  and  energ}^  he  spent  sev- 
eral years  carr}dng  a regular  tornado  of  arguments 
in  favor  of  Bible  reading  from  one  end  of  Cuba  to 
the  other. 


CUBA 


67 


Four  years  later,  I was  again  in  Cuba,  spending 
a few  days  in  its  hottest  city,  Santiago,  waiting  for 
the  French  boat  to  take  me  to  Haiti.  Again,  in 
the  middle  of  the  day,  Pumpido  called.  Again, 
after  a pleasant  and  profitable  visit,  I asked,  as  he 
was  leaving,  where  he  was  going.  Oh,”  he  said, 
“lam  going  to  write  some  letters  and  wait  a while 
before  starting  out  for  the  afternoon’s  work.  It 
is  time  lost  to  try  to  sell  in  the  middle  of  the  day.” 
His  enthusiasm  and  success  were  no  less.  He  had 
learned,  however,  that  conservation  of  energy 
meant  increased  efficiency. 

The  colporters  were  all  better  salesmen  than  I. 
Some  of  my  suggestions,  however,  were  helpful  to 
them.  I found  them  offering  the  Bible  first  and 
doing  their  very  best  to  sell  the  whole  Bible.  If 
they  failed  in  this,  they  would  then  offer  a New 
Testament;  and,  in  case  of  failure  would  try  to 
sell  a single  Gospel  or  other  separate  book,  not 
placing  much  importance  on  the  sale  of  the  smaller 
books.  Their  sales  were  therefore  comparatively 
small;  because,  after  having  refused  the  larger 
book,  for  any  reason  whatever,  it  was  easier  for  a 
person  to  refuse  again.  Also,  if  a desire  had  been 
created  to  purchase  the  whole  Bible,  the  party  would 
not  be  satisfied  with  a part  only,  preferring  to  wait 
till  he  could  afford  to  purchase  the  complete  book.  I 
proposed  that  they  take  the  opposite  course,  offer- 
ing the  Gospels  first.  This  had  a surprising  effect  on 
their  sales.  It  was  easy  to  create  a desire  to  pur^ 


68  CEUSADIXG  IN  THE  WEST  INDIES 


chase  the  smaller  book.  After  selling  a Gospel, 
saying  it  was  a part  of  the  whole  Bible,  made  the 
sale  of  the  larger  book  easier.  The  colporter 
would  take  back  the  book  already  sold  in  exchange 
if  requested  to  do  so.  Employing  this  method  of 
presentation  the  sales  of  the  men  increased  from 
two  hundred  copies  a month  to  one  thousand  and 
even  more.  In  this  way  they  succeeded  in  placing 
the  Gospel  in  the  hands  of  many  persons  who  by 
the  former  method  could  not  have  been  persuaded 
to  purchase  at  all. 

About  this  time  ^Ir.  David  Cole  of  Gerard, 
Kansas,  then  just  out  of  school,  began  his  sendees 
with  the  Society.  Mr.  Cole  had  remarkable  suc- 
cess in  Camague}’  where,  in  a house-to-house  can- 
vass, he  sold  more  than  Dvo  thousand  books.  In 
his  struggles  with  the  language  Mr.  Cole  had  to 
contend  with  a slightly  defective  hearing.  At  one 
time  he  wrote  me  suggesting  that  we  change  the 
price  of  the  three-cent  Gospels  for,  he  said,  “ I 
cannot  make  the  people  understand  me.  \Mien  I 
say  the  price  is  three  cents  they  always  think  I say 
either  six  or  thirteen.”  I replied  telling  him  that 
it  was  because  of  his  defective  pronunciation  of  the 
Spanish  “ r ” in  the  word  “ tres  ” ; that,  since  he 
had  as  many  muscles  in  his  tongue  as  a Cuban,  I 
would  suggest  that  he  master  the  pronunciation  of 
that  letter.  “ Cubans  are  e.xceedingly  polite,”  I 
told  him,  “ and  when  you  ask  them  if  you  have  the 
correct  pronunciation  of  a letter  the}’  will  invari- 


CUBA 


69 


ably  tell  you,  ‘Yes,’  not  only  because  they  do  not 
wish  to  hurt  your  feelings,  but  because  they  really 
do  understand,  at  the  time,  what  you  are  trying  to 
say.  You  will  know  when  you  are  correct,  how- 
ever, when  your  ‘ tres  ’ (three)  is  not  mistaken  for 
‘ seis  ’ (six)  or  ‘ trece  ’ (thirteen).”  Mr.  Cole  saw 
the  point  and  took  the  advice. 

One  is  frequently  chagrined  at  the  lack  of  effort 
to  master  the  details  of  Spanish  on  the  part  of 
Americans  using  it  continually.  When  revisiting 
Cuba  after  we  had  moved  to  Porto  Rico,  I was 
once  introduced  to  a congregation  as  a representa- 
tive from  Porta  Rica,  instead  of  Porto  Rico;  or, 
the  man  from  the  “ Rich  Door  ” instead  of  the 
man  from  the  ‘‘  Wealthy  Port.”  I heard  another 
American  in  the  same  town  take  part  in  a debate 
with  a Spanish-speaking  journalist.  In  Spanish,  as 
in  Latin  and  French,  many  shades  of  meaning  are 
represented  by  the  use  of  the  subjunctive  mood.  It 
is  the  form  used  for  the  expression  of  contingency 
and  doubt.  It  is  the  form  for  request,  and  to 
modify  statements  which  might  otherwise  appear 
too  dogmatic.  The  American  marshalled  a great 
many  facts;  but  his  presentation  of  them  was  so 
crude  that  it  was  painful  to  listen  to  him.  He  did 
not  use  the  subjunctive  mood  once  in  the  whole 
address.  The  journalist  was  a master  of  the  lan- 
guage, as  well  as  of  the  courtesies  required  by  the 
occasion.  The  address  impressed  his  hearers  as  a 
literary  masterpiece  and  the  judges  gave  him  the 


70  CRUSADIIS^G  IN  THE  WEST  INDIES 


debate;  although  the  American  attempted  to  pre- 
sent (I  will  not  say  presented)  the  strongest  argu- 
ments. 

The  continued  use  of  the  language  without  mas- 
tering it  is  like  a man  chopping  with  a dull  ax,  or 
hunting  for  big  game  with  an  old-fashioned  blun- 
derbuss. He  will  make  plenty  of  noise;  but  will 
not  accomplish  as  much  as  he  might  otherwise  do. 
I have  heard  young  missionaries  say  that  they 
could  not  find  time  to  study  the  language.  Imagine 
a woodman  saying  he  could  not  get  time  to  sharpen 
his  ax,  or  file  his  saw,  or  a hunter  that  he  could  not 
take  time  to  be  sure  of  his  aim. 

The  gentlemen  referred  to  are  no  longer  in  the 
W est  Indies.  It  is  to  be  taken  for  granted  that  all 
who  are  there  now  are  serious  students  of  the 
language.  This  word  is  intended  for ' those  who 
may  go  to  Spanish  America  in  the  future.  The 
Spanish  language  is  the  weapon  you  will  be  using 
against  evil  in  your  crusade  to  win  souls  for  Christ. 
Always  continue  to  polish  it  and  improve  your 
ability  to  manipulate  it;  thereby  making  it  as  ef- 
fective a weapon  as  possible  in  your  hands.  We 
Americans  do  not  take  the  pains  we  ought  to  mas- 
ter a foreign  language.  We  are  all  of  us  too  in- 
clined to  be  satisfied  when  we  get  to  the  point 
where  we  feel  that  we  are  making  ourselves  under- 
stood. 

I must  not  leave  Cuba  without  calling  attention 
to  a few  more  of  the  results  of  the  work  of  the 


CUBA 


71 


modem  crusader,  who  goes  forth  fully  armed  with 
the  “ Sword  of  the  Spirit  which  is  the  Word  of 
God.’^ 

Mr.  Munoz,  a deacon  of  the  Presbyterian 
Church  in  Matanzas,  in  early  life  started  to  educate 
himself  for  the  priesthood.  He  had  gone  as  far 
as  he  could  with  his  studies  in  Cuba  and  was  in 
Havana,  on  his  way  to  Spain,  to  complete  his 
course.  He  saw  a man  selling  Bibles  on  the  street. 
He  had  never  seen  a Bible  before.  He  bought  it 
out  of  curiosity,  took  it  to  his  room  to  read. 
Glancing  through  it  his  eyes  lighted  on  1 Timothy 
3:  2,  where  Timothy  is  told  that  the  bishop  should 
be  the  husband  of  one  wife.  Here  is  something 
wrong,  he  said  to  himself.  The  Church  tells  me 
that  I must  not  marry;  and  the  Bible  enjoins  mar- 
riage. The  more  he  read  the  more  divergence  he 
found  between  the  teachings  of  the  Bible  and  the 
practices  of  Rome.  He  could  find  nothing  of  the 
doctrine  of  Purgatory,  the  Mass,  or  the  worship  of 
Saints  and  the  Virgin.  He  decided  not  to  take  the 
next  boat  for  Spain  as  he  had  intended ; but  to  re- 
main for  a while  in  the  home  of  a friend  near 
Havana  and  continue  hi^  study  of  the  Book.  The 
more  he  read,  the  more  thoroughly  he  became  con- 
vinced of  the  errors  of  Rome.  Learning  that  a 
Protestant  minister,  the  Rev.  Mr.  Baker,  holding 
services  near  by,  was  using  the  Bible  as  authority, 
he  went  to  hear  him;  with  the  result  that  instead 
of  going  to  Spain  to  continue  his  studies  for  the 


72  CEUSADING  IN  THE  WEST  INDIES 


priesthood,  he  became  converted  and  an  active 
member  of  the  Protestant  Church. 

At  the  Sunday  School  Convention  in  Santiago 
de  Cuba  in  1910,  one  of  the  delegates,  Sehor  Jose 
Reyes,  a former  colporter,  then  working  with  the 
Friends  Mission  in  Holguin,  Cuba,  came  to  me,  his 
face  beaming  with  joy.  He  had  found  a woman, 
a member  of  one  of  the  churches  in  Santiago,  who 
told  him  that  she  and  all  of  her  family  had  become 
convinced  of  the  truth  through  a Bible  sold  them 
by  him  on  one  of  his  trips  along  the  North  Coast. 
On  moving  to  Santiago  they  joined  one  of  the 
churches  in  the  city.  Mr.  Reyes  wanted  me  to 
have  the  pleasure  of  meeting  the  woman  and  of 
learning,  at  first  hand,  of  this  fruit  of  Bible  distri- 
bution. 

An  American  school  teacher  working  for  one  of 
the  sugar  companies  near  Puerto  Padre,  Cuba,  was 
interested  in  Christian  work,  and  hearing  that  there 
was  a Protestant  lady  in  the  near-by  town,  went 
to  call  on  her.  The  woman  denied  being  a Protes- 
tant or  knowing  anything  about  the  Protestants. 
Calling  her  such  was  like  accusing  her  of  an  un- 
known crime.  She  readily  acknowledged  having  a 
Bible  and  believing  it  to  be  the  Word  of  God.  She 
was  glad  to  find  that  the  American  stranger  also 
knew  and  loved  the  Bible.  The  book  in  the  pos- 
session of  this  Cuban  woman  proved  to  be  one  of 
the  few  that  remained  from  a number  that  had 
been  sold  by  a visiting  colporter  some  years  before ; 


CUBA 


73 


the  priest  having  succeeded  in  gathering  up  and 
destroying  the  others.  This  thirsty  soul  had  read 
and  reread  the  Book  until  she  was  as  familiar  with 
the  principal  characters  of  its  history  as  she  was 
with  the  history  of  the  members  of  her  own  family. 
To  her  the  Bible  story  was  very  real,  especially  the 
life  of  Jesus.  Her  conclusion  was  that  the  Scribes 
and  Pharisees  denounced  by  Christ  were  Romish 
priests.  Although  she  had  never  heard  the  Gospel 
preached,  Mrs.  Benedict,  the  American  visitor,  had 
no  doubt  that  this  woman  had  found  Christ. 

In  1917,  I saw  an  account  by  Rev.  F.  Peters 
in  the  magazine  Missions  of  a woman  coming 
from  Puerto  Padre  to  Las  Tunas.  The  first  time 
that  she  visited  the  church  she  presented  herself 
for  baptism.  Upon  examination  she  was  found  to 
be  grounded  in  the  faith,  although  she  had  never 
attended  a Protestant  service  before.  I have  no 
doubt  this  woman  was  the  same  of  whom  Mrs. 
Benedict  had  told  me  some  years  before. 

The  importance  of  this  Bible  distribution  by  the 
colporters  of  the  American  Bible  Society  lies,  not 
only  in  the  individual  souls  that  are,  here  and  there, 
led  to  Christ  by  the  reading  of  the  Book  under  the 
guidance  of  the  Spirit;  but  in  the  fact  that  the 
general  distribution  of  the  Bible,  and  its  being 
more  or  less  widely  read,  form  a sort  of  ground- 
work upon  which  the  missionaries  can  begin  to 
build  in  territory  hitherto  unoccupied.  The  pos- 
session of  the  Bible  and  belief  in  its  message  is 


74  CEUSADING  IN  THE  WEST  INDIES 


the  foundation  upon  which  an  indigenous  church 
must  be  built. 

One  of  the  greatest  needs  of  Cuba  to-day  is 
Christian  literature.  With  the  general  increase  of 
literacy  there  is  an  increased  demand  for  reading 
matter  and  therefore  a greater  opportunity  for  the 
spread  of  the  Gospel  through  the  printed  page.  In 
Cuba  the  forces  of  evil  seem  to  be  much  more 
awake  to  the  opportunity  of  getting  in  their  work, 
through  the  press,  than  is  the  Christian  Church.  I 
have  never,  anywhere  else,  seen  such  a mass  of  vile 
novels  and  other  obscene  literature  for  sale,  as  in 
the  bookstores  of  the  Island. 

The  highly  colored  illustrations  on  the  covers  of 
the  cheaply  bound  books  that  decorate  the  adver- 
tising space  of  the  book-stalls  are  so  indecent  and 
suggestive  of  vice  that  going  to  a bookstore  for  a 
needed  article  is  like  trying  to  rescue  something  of 
value  from  the  mud  of  a gutter.  It  is  impossible 
to  secure  the  good  without  contamination  with  the 
vile.  I have  known  people  to  cross  to  the  other  side 
of  the  street,  and  even  go  around  a block  rather 
than  pass  one  of  these  stores  when  in  the  com- 
pany of  a lady. 

The  vile  character  of  some  of  the  pictures  of- 
fered for  sale  by  well-dressed  young  men,  osten- 
sibly selling  picture  postals,  on  the  streets  of  San- 
tiago and  Havana,  exceeds  in  obscenity  anything 
that  I have  ever  seen  pictured  on  the  walls  of  the 
heathen  temples  of  India. 


CUBA 


^6 


There  is  such  a demand  for  reading  matter 
throughout  Cuba  that  travelling  salesmen  are  able 
to  make  a living  going  from  house  to  house  with 
cheaply  bound  books.  The  literature  that  they  sell 
is  not  all  bad.  They  carry  some  of  the  works  of 
the  best  Spanish  authors,  and  some  translations  of 
excellent  English  and  French  works ; but  in  the  col- 
lections that  I saw,  the  vile  predominated. 

Protestant  America  has  been  late  in  grasping  the 
importance  of  the  circulation  of  Christian  litera- 
ture in  the  evangelization  of  Spanish  America. 
The  American  Tract  Society  employed  one  col- 
porter  in  the  vicinity  of  Havana;  and,  at  times,  the 
American  Baptist  Publication  Society  employed  a 
man  in  Eastern  Cuba.  Missionaries,  also,  kept  on 
hand  small  stocks  of  helpful  books ; but  there  was 
no  centre  where  all  the  evangelical  literature  pub- 
lished in  Spanish,  or  even  a respectable  fraction  of 
it,  could  be  secured.  Native  pastors  used  to  lament 
the  difficulty  experienced  in  securing  good  reading 
matter  for  themselves,  their  congregations,  and  for 
general  distribution.  The  little  that  was  available 
came  from  such  widely  separated  sources  as  the 
United  States,  Spain,  and  the  Argentine. 

Since  the  time  of  which  I write,  something  has 
been  done  towards  securing  a more  adequate  sup- 
ply of  literature  for  the  workers  in  Cuba.  The 
Committee  on  Cooperation  in  Latin  America  is 
publishing  an  illustrated  monthly  magazine  calcu- 
lated to  reach  the  educated  classes.  A small  book- 


76  CRUSADING  IN  THE  WEST  INDIES 


store  has  also  been  established  in  Havana.  What 
has  been  done,  however,  is  very  little  indeed  com- 
pared with  the  present  opportunity  of  reaching  the 
whole  people  through  the  printed  page. 

An  interdenominational,  illustrated,  Christian 
family  paper  is  needed.  Also,  we  ought  to  see  that 
the  whole  Island  is  covered  by  the  itinerant  col- 
porter,  selling,  from  door  to  door,  wholesome,  up- 
lifting, character-building  literature.  The  great 
need  is  for  a united  effort  on  the  part  of  evangel- 
ical Christianity  to  counteract  the  flood  of  vile 
literature  that  is  swamping  this  beautiful  Island, 
so  richly  endowed  with  natural  attractions. 


V 


HAITI 

Directly  south  from  Boston  and  New 
York  in  the  direct  path  of  steamships  sail- 
ing from  New  York  to  Panama,  lies  the 
Island  of  Haiti,  on  which  are  located  the  Republics 
of  Haiti  and  Santo  Domingo.  Comparatively 
small  this  Island  appears  on  the  maps ; yet  it  covers 
a territory  in  excess  of  the  combined  area  of  Con- 
necticut, Massachusetts  and  New  Jersey. 

The  whole  Island  has  a remarkably  pleasant  and 
healthful  climate;  especially  so  in  the  higher  alti- 
tudes. It  possesses  the  highest  mountain,  as  well 
as  the  highest  mountain  range  in  the  West  Indies. 
During  the  summer  months  when  we  in  the  United 
States  and  Canada  are  sweltering,  with  the  ther- 
mometer ranging  around  100  in  the  shade,  the  tem- 
perature, even  in  the  coast  towns  of  Haiti,  seldom 
reaches  90  degrees  Fahrenheit.  The  Island  is  also 
very  rich  in  agricultural  possibilities. 

It  is  said  that  nowhere  in  the  world  is  there  to  be 
found  such  a varied  flora  in  so  small  a territory  as 
in  Haiti.  Its  mountains  and  table-lands  produce 
most  of  the  products  of  the  Temperate  Zone ; while 
on  the  plains  and  hills  near  the  coast  are  raised,  in 

77 


78  CRUSADING  IN  THE  WEST  INDIES 


great  abundance,  the  fruits  of  the  Tropics.  I know 
of  no  other  market,  except  that  of  Mexico  City, 
which  displays  such  a variety  of  native  products 
as  does  that  of  Port-au-Prince,  the  Capital  of 
Haiti.  Women  come  down  the  rugged  mountain 
paths  at  the  back  of  the  City  bringing  on  their 
heads  baskets  filled  with  turnips,  carrots,  potatoes, 
cabbage,  strawberries  and  peaches  grown  in  the 
cool  climate  of  the  higher  elevations.  Other 
women  come  in  boats  and  along  the  paths  skirting 
the  seashore,  bringing  bananas,  oranges,  mangoes, 
and  other  fruits  of  the  Tropics  grown  in  the  lower 
altitudes. 

Watered  by  abundant  rains,  its  heat  tempered  by 
the  trade  winds  and  the  altitude  of  its  mountains, 
with  a soil  of  inexhaustible  fertility,  why  has 
Haiti  not  taken  her  stand  among  the  nations  of 
the  earth?  Before  the  French  Revolution,  Haiti 
was  a prosperous  French  Colony.  It  was  a pros- 
perity, however,  built  upon  slave  labor.  During 
the  time  of  the  first  Napoleon,  after  a war  in  which 
many  atrocities  were  committed  on  both  sides,  the 
blacks  achieved  their  independence  and  the  whites 
were  expelled.  Since  that  time  Haiti  has  been  like 
a piece  of  Central  Africa  planted  in  the  Western 
World.  The  mulattos,  generally,  and  those  who 
had  come  in  closer  contact  with  the  French,  were 
for  the  things  that  made  for  progress.  The  mass 
of  the  people  were  ignorant,  many  of  them  but  re- 
cently imported  from  Africa.  These  were  in- 


HAITI 


79 


tensely  jealous  of  the  progressive  element. 
Through  civil  wars  and  revolutions  the  worst  ele- 
ment gained  the  ascendency  and  maintained  it  by 
assassination  of  prospective  political  opponents. 

After  the  withdrawal  of  the  French,  left  entirely 
to  herself,  Haiti  started  on  the  road  to  ruin,  resting 
only  occasionally  from  a mad  orgy  of  civil  wars, 
revolutionary  uprisings,  assassinations,  and  mur- 
ders, until  recently  stopped  by  the  occupation  of 
the  country  by  Uncle  Sam’s  marines.  Politically 
we  are  now  acting  the  Good  Samaritan  to  our 
badly  wounded  and  exhausted  neighbor. 

In  October,  1909,  in  answer  to  some  inquiries  I 
had  made  regarding  the  need  of  Bibles  in  Haiti,  I 
received  a letter  from  Rev.  A.  F.  Parkinson-Turn- 
bull,  the  energetic  representative  of  the  Wesleyan 
Methodist  Church  of  England,  located  at  Port-au- 
Prince,  stating  that  in  his  trips  to  the  interior  he 
had  visited  towns  of  from  five  to  eight  thousand 
inhabitants,  where  a copy  of  the  Bible  or  New  Tes- 
tament could  not  be  found  and  where  the  people 
were  in  absolute  ignorance  of  the  Bible  story. 

There  being  no  opportunity  at  the  time  to  obtain 
passage  from  Cuba  to  Haiti,  I went  to  New  York 
by  one  of  the  Ward  Line  boats,  and,  going  to  the 
Bible  House,  chose  what  I thought  a suitable  stock 
of  French  books  and  took  passage  for  Port-au- 
Prince  on  a boat  of  the  Atlas  Line,  arriving  No- 
vember the  fifth,  1909. 

Our  ship  came  to  anchor  at  a distance  from  the 


80  CRUSADING  IN  THE  WEST  INDIES 


shore  during  the  night,  and  at  daybreak  we 
steamed  slowly  towards  the  port. 

To  one  familiar  with  the  glowing  descriptions  of 
the  abundant  vegetation  of  the  Tropics,  the  view  on 
the  approach  to  Cuba,  at  either  Havana  or  Santi- 
ago, is  disappointing.  This  part  of  Haiti,  how- 
ever, comes  up  to  all  expectations.  The  view  from 
the  sea  is  a dream  of  tropical  loveliness.  From 
their  base,  where  the  roots  of  the  grass  and  the 
cocoanut  palm  are  bathed  by  the  gentle  waves,  to 
their  very  summits  the  mountains  surrounding  the 
city  of  Port-au-Prince  are  clothed  in  verdure.  The 
city  itself,  lying  at  the  foot  of  the  mountains, 
shaded,  covered,  protected,  and  almost  hidden  in 
the  luxuriant  vegetation,  is  a sight  to  behold ; with 
the  towering  cathedral,  and  the  tops  of  the  highest 
buildings  only,  appearing  above  the  trees.  The 
whole  scene  is  one  of  indescribable  beauty. 

Shortly  after  sunrise,  the  port  doctor,  the  agent 
of  the  steamship  line,  and  the  pilot,  came  on  board. 
I was  much  struck  with  the  attire  of  the  last  men- 
tioned gentleman.  Black  as  midnight,  he  appeared 
quite  pompous  in  his  gold-braided  coat  and  cap. 
On  one  foot  he  wore  a brightly  polished  tan  shoe, 
while  the  other  was  protected  and  ornamented  by  a 
freshly  chalked  white  canvas  of  different  size  and 
shape. 

At  this  time  there  were  no  docks  at  Port-au- 
Prince.  Passengers  were  taken  to  and  from  the 
ship  in  small  boats  and  the  freight  in  lighters. 


HAITI 


81 


Each  person  was  obliged  to  make  his  own  arrange- 
ments for  going  ashore  after  the  ship  had  finally 
anchored  in  the  harbor.  This  is  still  the  case  with 
most  West  Indian  ports.  In  broken  English  the 
pompous  gentleman  asked  that  he  might  have  the 
honor  of  taking  myself  and  baggage  to  the  wharf 
and  of  helping  me  with  them  through  the  custom 
house,  charging  for  his  services  $1.50.  When  we 
left  the  ship  in  the  small  rowboats  the  lighters 
had  already  arrived  and  had  begun  to  receive  the 
cargo, 

I had  just  been  regaled  with  the  beauties  of  the 
natural  surroundings  of  Port-au-Prince  as  seen 
from  the  sea;  hence  the  vividness  in  my  memory 
of  the  first  two  hours  spent  in  the  city  itself.  The 
contrast  was  very  great.  One  traveller  has  said 
that  viewed  from  without,  Port-au-Prince  is  a 
sight  worth  coming  5,000  miles  to  behold;  but 
once  within  the  city  the  first  impulse  is  to  travel 
5,000  miles  to  get  away.  The  men  in  the  boat 
rowed  us  to  the  broken-down  landing  where 
a vociferating  mob  of  ragged  blacks  were  crowd- 
ing to  the  water’s  edge,  pushing  and  pulling 
each  other,  acting  for  all  the  world  like  a crowd 
of  unruly,  quarrelsome  children,  each  trying 
to  get  nearer  the  boat  than  the  otlier  in  order 
to  be  able  to  improve  the  opportunity  of  earn- 
ing a few  pennies  by  helping  with  the  bag- 
gage. The  official  of  the  gold  braid  and  variegated 
footwear,  who  had  taken  us  ashore,  motioned  to  a 


82  CEUSADING  IN  THE  WEST  INDIES^ 


soldier,  a barefoot  lad  of  sixteen,  with  half  of  one 
of  the  legs  of  his  pantaloons  gone,  very  little  of  the 
seat  left,  no  shirt,  a ragged  coat  and  military  cap, 
indicating  that  he  help  with  the  baggage.  Down 
went  his  gun  immediately  in  the  dirt,  to  be  trodden 
on  and  kicked  about  by  the  jostling  crowd,  until, 
after  having  carried  my  trunk  and  valises  and  put 
them  down  in  front  of  the  custom  house,  he  re- 
turned to  pick  it  up.  He  was  a fair  sample  of  the 
average  soldier  of  the  famous  Haitian  army  at 
that  time,  when  its  gold-braided  generals  boasted 
to  me  that  their  armies  had  whipped  those  of  Eng- 
land and  France. 

At  the  office,  where  my  passport  was  examined, 
I was  treated  with  the  utmost  courtesy  by  an  ebony 
official  speaking  Parisian  French  with  a perfect  ac- 
cent and  showing  the  best  of  good  breeding.  As 
I was  leaving,  one  of  the  officials  handed  me  the 
card  of  a hotel  in  which  it  appeared  he  was  inter- 
ested, and  solicited  my  patronage.  On  my  telling 
the  customs  officials  that  I represented  the  Bible 
Society  and  that  I was  visiting  the  Rev.  Mr.  Turn- 
bull,  the  baggage  was  given  a very  superficial  ex- 
amination and  I was  allowed  to  proceed.  My  man 
did  not  claim  his  $1.50  until  he  had  called  a coach 
and  seen  me  and  my  baggage  duly  installed.  I 
learned  afterwards  that  I had  taken  the  most  satis- 
factory method  of  making  a landing,  i.  e.,  by  mak- 
ing the  one  man  responsible  and  looking  only  to 
him.  If  he  needs  help  in  handling  the  baggage,  let 


HAITI 


83 


him  make  his  own  arrangements  with  any  assist- 
ance he  may  wish  to  employ. 

Once  within  the  city  of  Port-au-Prince  the  im- 
pression of  its  natural  beauty  as  seen  from  without 
was  forgotten  for  the  time,  obliterated  as  it  was 
by  the  view  of  dirt  and  rags,  filth  and  squalor,  and 
the  stench  of  the  sewage  and  garbage  with  which 
the  city  streets  and  open  gutters  were  filled.  Port- 
au-Prince  of  those  days  was  simply  indescribable. 
The  city  authorities  were  supposed  to  remove  the 
garbage  once  a week  and  all  householders  were 
obliged  to  throw  their  refuse  in  a heap  on  the 
streets  outside  their  doors.  I do  not  suppose  it 
had  been  removed  for  many  weeks  when  I landed. 
The  wind,  the  passers-by  and  the  hogs  that  roamed 
the  streets  had  scattered  the  garbage  so  that  one 
was  nearly  ankle  deep  in  it. 

The  streets  had  been  paved  in  the  time  of  the 
French,  but  the  pavement  was  full  of  holes.  The 
horse  attached  to  the  ramshackle  Victoria  was  able 
to  pull  one  wheel  out  of  a hole  only  to  have  it  drop 
into  another  a little  farther  on.  Thus  we  made 
our  awkward  and  uncomfortable  way  to  the 
Methodist  parsonage. 

The  salvation  of  Port-au-Prince  from  the  stand- 
point of  sanitation  is  its  torrential  rains.  There 
was  no  sewage  system  and  the  municipal  ordinance 
for  the  removal  of  garbage  was  not  carried  out. 
The  city  at  the  time  I landed  was  a veritable  pest 
hole.  This  was,  however,  because  it  had  not  re- 


84  CRUSADING  IN  THE  WEST  INDIES 


cently  rained.  A night  or  two  after,  we  had  a ter- 
rific thunder  shower ; when  the  water  coming  down 
the  sides  of  the  mountains  turned  the  streets  of  the 
city  into  rushing  rivers  and  swept  the  filth  into  the 
sea,  so  that  the  following  morning  they  presented 
quite  a clean  appearance.  Not  so,  however,  the 
corner  lots.  These  being  used  for  public  toilets 
and  not  being  in  the  course  of  the  water  sweeping 
to  the  sea,  sent  up  an  almost  unbearable  stench. 

I found  more  than  half  of  the  one  hundred  thou- 
sand people  of  the  Capital  living  in  temporary 
shacks  made  of  pieces  of  corrugated  iron,  dry- 
goods  boxes,  barrel  staves.  Standard  Oil  tins;  in 
fact,  almost  anything  that  could  be  put  together  to 
make  a shelter  from  the  sun  and  rain.  The  year 
before,  the  city  had  been  destroyed  by  fire  in  time 
of  peace,  by  the  order  of  their  president,  Nord 
Alexis.  This  was  one  of  the  many  atrocities  that 
helped  to  turn  the  people  so  against  him  that  An- 
toine Simon,  another  ignorant  adventurer  and  su- 
perstitious believer  in  witchcraft,  was  enabled  to 
get  into  power. 

A distinctive  feature  of  life  in  Haiti,  a knowl- 
edge of  which  is  indispensable  to  any  understanding 
of  it,  is  the  universal  belief  in  voodooism,  snake 
worship  and  the  power  of  the  witch  doctor,  relics 
of  African  fetishism.  At  the  time  of  securing 
their  independence  a clause  was  inserted  in  the  new 
constitution  providing  that  only  those  having  Ne- 
gro or  Indian  blood  could  become  landowmers, 


HAITI 


85 


making  it  from  the  first  a purely  African  country, 
as  the  number  of  Indians  was  a negligible  quantity. 
Not  only  were  the  inhabitants  of  the  Republic  com- 
posed of  a mass  of  uneducated  Negroes,  but  a 
large  percentage  of  these  had  but  recently  been 
imported  from  Africa,  or  were  the  children  of 
those  so  imported.  As  the  French  did  not  believe 
in  the  education  of  their  slaves,  the  educated  lead- 
ers were  few.  While  those  who  were  educated 
adopted  the  Roman  religion,  the  great  mass  of  the 
population  of  Haiti  have  always  been  serpent  wor- 
shippers, or  voodooists;  and  the  whole  country, 
from  the  president  down,  has  always  lived  in  mor- 
tal terror  of  the  witch  doctor.  It  was  reported, 
and  generally  believed,  that  it  was  at  the  instigation 
of  a sorcerer,  who  at  a voodoo  seance  told  Presi- 
dent. Nord  Alexis  that  a great  fire  was  necessary 
in  order  to  make  secure  his  seat  in  the  presidential 
chair,  that  the  president  the  following  morning 
ordered  the  city  burned. 

The  sorcerers  and  sorceresses  are  called  by  the 
natives  Papalois  ” and  ''  Mamalois.”  One  sees 
their  huts  which  are  the  centres  of  the  cult 
throughout  the  Island.  They  are  distinguished  by 
the  whitewashed  front,  the  neatly  swept  yard  in 
the  centre  of  which  is  planted  a white  cross ; while 
sacred  palms  are  to  be  seen  growing  about  the 
house.  The  sorcerers,  both  male  and  female,  are 
supposed  to  have  power  to  influence  the  evil  spirits. 
It  is  thought  that  they  are  able  to  produce  a cata- 


86  CRUSADING  IN  THE  ^ST  INDIES 


leptic  state  similar  to  death  in  the  victim ; and  that 
after  the  person,  who  is  supposed  to  be  dead,  has 
been  buried,  the  witch  doctor  can  dig  him  up,  re- 
vive him,  and  by  the  exercise  of  supernatural 
powers  convert  him  into  his  slave  or  body  servant, 
or  turn  him  into  an  animal. 

The  following  stories  told  me  on  my  visits  to  the 
Island,  some  by  foreigners,  some  by  natives  them- 
selves, will  illustrate  the  nature  of  these  beliefs. 

An  English  gentleman  of  Port-au-Prince  told 
me,  at  the  time  of  my  first  visit,  of  seeing  the  police 
of  that  city  leading  a woman  along  the  street  under 
arrest  and  carrying  an  apparently  dead  child. 
Curiosity  prompted  him  to  follow  to  the  magi- 
strate’s court,  where  the  father  of  the  child  accused 
the  woman  of  having  killed  it.  Before  the  magi- 
strate the  woman  declared  that  the  child  was  not 
dead,  but  only  apparently  so,  as  the  result  of  a 
drug  that  she  had  used,  and,  said  she:  '‘If  you  will 
withdraw  the  charge  against  me  and  allow  me  to  go 
free,  I will  administer  the  antidote  and  revive  it. 
Otherwise  the  child  will  die.”  At  the  earnest  re- 
quest of  the  father,  the  judge  promised  to  let  the 
woman  go,  if  she  would  restore  the  child.  She 
immediately  went  through  with  certain  perform- 
ances and  administered  some  potion  that  brought 
the  apparently  dead  child  to  life.  Meanwhile,  hav- 
ing secured  immunity,  she  grew  bold,  and  said  to 
those  surrounding  her:  “You  know  that  I have  a 
child  to  eat  every  year,  and  you  (pointing  to  the 


HAITI 


87 


judge),  and  you,  and  you  (pointing  to  other  offi- 
cers who  stood  near),  have  eaten  human  flesh  with 
me/’ 

Some  time  later  Mr.  Paul  Delattre,  a French- 
man, pastor  of  the  Baptist  church  in  St.  Marc, 
Haiti,  told  me  there  had  recently  returned  to  that 
section  a woman  whom  all  her  friends  believed  to 
have  died,  and  to  have  been  buried,  some  eight 
years  before.  She  returned  with  five  children,  and 
with  the  story  that  the  witch  doctor  had  dug  her 
up,  brought  her  to  life,  and  taken  her  to  live  with 
him  until  he  was  killed  in  a recent  revolution. 
Upon  his  death  she  was  free,  and  returned  home  to 
her  parents. 

On  my  last  visit  to  Haiti,  spending  a day  at  the 
Cape,  I found  the  whole  city  stirred  by  the  story  of 
a man  who  had  just  returned  to  the  place  after 
having,  supposedly,  been  dead  and  buried  for 
years.  Here  is  the  story  as  I was  told  it  by  Mr. 
Albert,  the  native  Haitian  pastor  of  the  Wesleyan 
church  at  Cape  Haiti. 

The  man  claimed  that  after  his  burial  the  witch 
doctor  had  exhumed  him,  and  brought  him  to 
life,  turned  him  into  an  ox,  and  in  this  form  had 
worked  him  until  he  was  set  free  by  the  death  of 
his  master.  He  said  that,  as  an  ox,  he  was  driven 
frequently  to  the  town  and  that  he  occasionally  met 
and  recognized  his  own  mother  on  these  trips.  As 
evidence  of  the  truth  of  his  story,  the  man  showed 
a scar  upon  his  neck  caused  by  the  yoke.  The 


88  CEUSADING  IX  THE  WEST  IXDIES 


priest  at  Cape  Haiti  corroborated  the  fact  of  the 
man’s  burial ; and  the  whole  story  was  believed  by 
most  Haitians  living  in  the  place. 

All  over  Haiti  one  hears  the  wildest  stories  of 
this  nature,  told  in  all  seriousness  by  people  of 
otherwise  ordinary  intelligence.  For  instance,  a 
man  purchased  a pig  on  a market  day  and,  bring- 
ing it  home,  tied  it  to  a tree.  In  the  morning  he 
found  a beautiful  young  lady  tied  there  in  tlie  place 
of  the  pig.  In  some  way  his  purchase  of  her  had 
emancipated  her  from  the  power  of  the  sorcerer 
and  secured  for  himself  a grateful  spouse. 

The  Haitians  are  great  believers  in  ghosts.  Mr. 
Leon  Hyson,  manager  of  a German  export  estab- 
lishment in  Petit  Guave,  told  me  how  a rich  man 
of  his  acquaintance  got  his  start  in  life  by  purchas- 
ing a haunted  house  for  a small  sum.  Constant 
rappings  were  heard  and  nobody  was  willing  to 
live  there;  hence  the  house  was  sold  very  cheaply. 

Seated  alone  one  evening  in  the  house,  the  man 
heard  the  rapping,  which  appeared  to  come  from 
the  ceiling.  In  a loud  voice  he  commanded  who- 
ever it  was  to  come  down.  A pair  of  feet  ap- 
peared through  the  ceiling  and  a sepulchral  voice 
said,  ‘‘  I am  coming.”  “ Come  along,  I am  not 
afraid,”  said  the  occupant  of  the  room.  Slowly  the 
body  descended,  stopped  and  knocked  repeatedly 
and  was  as  repeatedly  challenged  to  come  on,  until, 
at  the  final  challenge,  the  body  was  hanging  by  the 
neck  alone,  the  head  only  having  failed  to  appear. 


HAITI 


89 


At  last  the  head  being  released,  the  body  dropped, 
and  there  stood  before  the  man  a giant  negro. 
“ Follow  me,”  said  the  negro.  The  man  followed 
to  the  corner  of  another  room,  where,  pointing  to 
the  ground,  the  ghost  said,  Dig.”  Digging,  the 
man  unearthed  a buried  treasure  of  gold. 

There,”  said  the  ghost,  “ I am  satisfied  and  can 
rest.  My  master  made  me  bury  that  gold  there 
and  then  killed  me,  so  that  I could  tell  no  one  where 
it  was.  Ever  since  my  death  I have  been  trying 
to  tell  somebody,  but  all  were  afraid.  Now  I shall 
rest  and  you  have  the  gold  as  a reward  for  your 
fearlessness.”  Mr.  Hyson  believed  the  story  so 
implicitly  that  he  could  not  understand  my  in- 
credulity. “ What  evidence  have  you  that  it  is 
true  ? ” I asked.  “ Why,”  he  said,  everybody 
knows  it.”  Did  the  man  tell  you  himself?” 
“ No,  but  he  was  poor  before  and  is  rich  now,  and 
everybody  knows  that  that  is  the  way  he  got  his 
money.” 

The  ghost  stories  are,  of  course,  superstitious 
fancies  of  the  untutored  mind.  With  the  witch 
doctors,  however,  the  case  is  different.  I have 
wondered  if  their  principal  power  did  not  lie  in 
hypnotism;  and  possibly  in  the  knowledge  of  the 
toxic  effect  of  some  powerful  drug  extracted  from 
the  herbs  they  gather.  At  any  rate,  the  subject  is 
worth  studying.  How  did  these  unlettered  Afri- 
cans gain  this  ascendency  over  the  rest  of  their  race 
in  this  Island,  and  cause,  even  otherwise  intelligent 


90  CRUSADING  IN  THE  TTEST  INDIES 

people,  to  believe  in  their  power?  The  sorcerers 
were  looked  upon  as  the  professional  poisoners. 
Did  a man  wish  to  secure  a government  position, 
or,  having  secured  one,  did  he  wish  advance,  he 
would  visit  the  witch  doctor  and  enlist  his  ser\dces. 
But  first  he  must  himself  be  initiated  into  the  mys- 
teries of  voodooism.  It  is  said  that  the  “ supreme 
sacrifice  ''  (that  of  a human  child)  is  made  during 
these  initiations  and  the  body  eaten.  The  children 
stolen  for  this  purpose  are  drugged  and  kept  in  a 
dazed  state  until  the  time  of  the  event.  The  Hai- 
tians tell  me  that  this  cannibalism  is  indulged  in 
for  the  purpose  of  compromising  the  man  who 
employs  the  witch  doctor  to  poison  his  enemy  or 
aid  him  in  his  own  advancement.  Having  partaken 
with  the  sorcerer  in  the  crime  of  cannibalism  he 
would  not  dare  to  report  him  to  the  authorities  or 
work  against  him. 

Some  of  the  more  enlightened  presidents  of 
Haiti  tried  to  stamp  out  voodooism,  enacting  very 
stringent  laws  against  its  practices.  These  laws 
became,  however,  of  no  effect,  some  of  the  later 
presidents  being  great  believers  themselves,  and 
followed  the  practices  of  the  cult.  The  wife  of  one 
of  them  was  a famous  sorceress,  holding  voodoo 
seances  in  the  National  Palace. 

As  far  as  I can  learn,  literature  does  not  record 
very  faithfully  or  extensively  these  popular  beliefs 
of  Haiti.  It  would  be  well  worth  while  for  some- 
one to  master  the  native  Patois  and  in  the  in- 


HAITI 


91 


terests  of  literature,  psychology  and  folk-lore,  re- 
cord these  creations  of  the  African  mind  before 
they  disappear  from  the  face  of  the  earth  with  ad- 
vancing civilization. 

The  study  of  the  language  of  the  country  people 
of  Haiti,  the  Patois  is  not  without  interest;  and 
its  acquisition  is  not  difficult  for  one  who  has  al- 
ready made  a study  of  French  or  for  one  who  has 
a good  ear.  It  is  very  simple  and  has  few  gram- 
matical forms.  Some  form  of  the  French  verb  is 
chosen,  generally  the  past  participle,  and  there  is 
no  change  in  this  form  for  number,  person,  or 
tense;  the  latter  being  expressed  by  adverbs  of 
time.  For  example,  the  English  equivalent  for 
past,  present,  and  future  of  the  verb  “ to  work 
in  this  style  of  speech  would  be,  “ I work  yester- 
day,’’ ‘‘  I work  to-day,”  “ I work  to-morrow.” 
The  pronoun  “ li  ” stands  for  all  the  forms  of 
“ he,”  ‘‘  she,”  and  ‘‘  it.”  It  would  seem  that  the 
newly  arrived  African  adopted  of  the  language  of 
his  French  masters  the  words  as  they  sounded  to 
him.  There  have  crept  into  the  language  also 
many  words  of  Spanish  origin.  Thus  in  the 
Patois  of  Haiti  the  word  for  an  egg  is  ‘‘  zeu,” 
a corruption  of  the  French  “ les  oeufs.”  The 
word  “ cob  ” used  for  a cent,  comes  from  the  Span- 
ish word  “cobre”  copper,  ‘‘rapadou”  brown  sugar 
is  a corruption  of  the  Spanish  “ raspadura.”  While 
there  is  no  doubt  that  ''  gourde,”  the  name  given 
the  national  monetary  standard,  is  a one-syllabled 


92  CEUSADING  IN  THE  WEST  INDIES 


corruption  of  the  Spanish  words  “peso  gordo.” 
Everyone  who  learns  to  read  in  Haiti  learns 
French,  and  it  would  seem  a pity  to  perpetuate  the 
Patois  to  the  extent  of  publishing  books  in  it.  Its 
study,  however,  is  not  without  human  interest  and 
I trust  will  appeal,  together  with  the  study  of  voo- 
dooism  and  folk-lore,  to  some  of  our  American 
scholars. 

When,  the  day  of  my  arrival,  after  having  run 
the  risk  of  upsetting  our  coach  or  breaking  the 
springs  several  times  in  getting  into  and  out  of  the 
holes  in  the  streets,  we  arrived  at  the  Methodist 
parsonage,  I asked  the  black  woman  who  came  to 
the  door.  Si  M.  Le  Pasteur  y etait,  she  replied  in 
English  accompanied  by  the  unmistaken  accent  of 
Jamaica,  that  Mr.  Turnbull  w^as  up-stairs  and 
would  soon  be  down. 

While  waiting  for  Mr.  Turnbull  a small  boy 
came  running  up  with  a very  neatly  folded  note 
addressed  to  me  in  a handwriting  which  was  really 
a marvel  of  a chirographic  acquisition.  With  an 
added  feeling  of  personal  importance  at  being  ad- 
dressed in  this  manner  so  soon  after  my  arrival,  I 
opened  the  note.  It  was  an  elegantly  worded  appeal 
from  a person  with  whose  name  I was  unfamiliar 
for  a *^Petite  gratification,”  or,  in  plain  English,  a 
“ little  tip.”  As  I stood  puzzling  as  to  why  I 
should  be  approached  in  this  manner,  Mr.  Turnbull 
came  in  and  explained.  The  note  was  from  the 
customs  official  who  had  passed  my  baggage.  Mr. 


HAITI 


93 


Turnbull  was  Indignant  that  a guest  of  his  should 
be  troubled  so  soon.  When  I learned  that  such 
officials  received  no  salary,  but  were  dependent  for 
their  continued  existence  upon  what  they  could 
get  out  of  the  travelling  and  trading  public,  I 
didn’t  have  the  same  scruples  against  sending  the 
petite  gratification. 

Were  it  not  for  the  tragedy  of  it,  the  govern- 
ment of  Haiti  under  the  old  regime  would  have 
been  a screaming  farce.  Officials  paid  themselves 
from  the  funds  received. 

A passport  was  necessary  in  order  to  be  able  to 
purchase  a ticket  to  leave  the  country.  I would 
like  to  take  the  reader  with  me  on  a trip  to  secure 
this  paper.  First  we  go  to  the  municipal  building 
to  secure  the  preliminary  police  permit.  A rusty 
rifle  is  leaning  across  the  door  of  entrance.  You 
are  for  stepping  over  and  passing  on;  but,  no! 
Haiti  is  under  martial  law.  A half-starved,  dirty, 
ragged,  unkempt,  barefoot  negro  boy  soldier  is  on 
guard,  sitting  in  the  dirt  near  by ; or,  if  he  has  gone 
away  for  the  moment,  the  gun  is  on  guard,  and 
you  must  wait  till  it  is  removed  before  you  can 
pass  into  the  presence  of  the  functionaries  within. 
We  pass  through  a large  room  in  which  are  loung- 
ing several  equally  disreputable  looking  repre- 
sentatives of  the  army.  Take  off  your  hat  Imme- 
diately, otherwise  one  will  be  sure  to  bellow  out, 
from  under  his  own  dirty  cap,  trying  to  m.ake  up 
for  his  youthful  appearance  by  the  sonorousness, 


94  CBUSADING  IN  THE  WEST  INDIES 


fierceness  and  apparent  anger  of  his  voice:  ''Qui 
00  Blanc,  pa  quitter  chapeau?  ” Who  are  you, 
white  man,  that  you  do  not  take  off  your  hat? 
The  dignity  and  sovereignty  of  Haiti  must  be  re- 
spected by  all  foreigners. 

Smilingly  we  comply  with  the  not  unkind, 
though  slightly  irritating  injunction;  and,  remov- 
ing our  hats,  pass  to  the  desk  of  the  clerk  who 
writes  out  for  us  a form  of  application  on  a sheet 
of  stamped  paper  that  we  have  been  careful  to  pro- 
cure beforehand.  After  giving  a few  cents  to  the 
man  of  the  quill  for  his  trouble,  we  pass  on  to  the 
office  of  the  chief  of  police,  an  officer  very  much 
impressed  with  his  own  importance.  This  man 
will  probably  send  us  word  that  he  is  busy  at  pres- 
ent and  will  see  us  at  a certain  hour  the  next  day ; 
or  will  ask  us  to  call  again  in  the  afternoon.  He 
may  possibly  condescend  to  take  the  paper  and  tell 
us  to  call  for  it  later.  It  would,  however,  be  entirely 
beneath  his  dignity  to  sign  a permit  at  once  and  let 
you  proceed  about  your  business.  No,  no,  he  must 
delay  you  long  enough  so  that  you  also  will  be  fully 
impressed  with  his  powers,  and  your  dependence 
upon  his  consent  to  leave  the  city. 

After  obtaining  the  police  permit,  without 
which  a passport  cannot  be  secured,  we  repair  to 
the  offices  of  the  Minister  of  War.  Here  a clerk 
fills  out  the  form  of  a passport;  when,  after  con- 
tributing to  his  personal  support,  ‘‘  anything  you 
wish,”  we  present  ourselves  at  the  door  of  the  office 


HAITI 


95 


of  the  chief  functionary,  the  Minister  of  War  of 
the  Republic  of  Haiti.  He  may  be  in  the  inner 
office  apparently  reading,  or  smoking  and  chatting 
with  a friend.  At  any  rate  he  sends  out  word  for 
us  to  call  at  two  o’clock  the  next  day. 

We  call  at  the  appointed  hour,  but  his  worship  is 
busy  and  sends  word  for  us  to  call  the  next  day. 
The  following  day  he  sees  us,  takes  the  unsigned 
passport  and  tells  us  to  call  for  it  the  next  day. 
Calling  as  directed,  as  we  supposed  for  the  last 
time,  he  tells  us  with  apparent  chagrin  that  he  took 
the  documents  home  with  him  together  with  other 
papers  to  be  signed.  He  is  sorry.  He  will  bring 
them  when  he  comes  to  the  office  in  the  afternoon. 

Nearly  a week  has  passed  since  we  began  nego- 
tiations to  secure  the  passports,  thinking  we  had 
plenty  of  time.  Our  boat  sails  in  an  hour  and  the 
steamship  agent  will  not  sell  us  a ticket,  nor  will 
the  police  allow  us  to  depart  without  these  official 
evidences  that  we  have  permission  of  the  proper 
authorities  to  do  so.  Upon  our  statement  of  the 
case  his  worship  seems  to  become  concerned  in  our 
interest.  His  home  is  too  far  out  for  him  to  be 
able  to  send  and  get  the  passports  in  time.  He 
will  send  a soldier  with  us  to  tell  the  steamship 
agent  that  the  passports  have  been  signed  and  there 
will  be  no  trouble. 

We  depart,  rather  doubtfully,  with  the  soldier, 
who  is  all  puffed  up  with  the  importance  of  his 
message.  Just  as  we  had  expected,  upon  our  ar- 


96  CEUSADING  IN  THE  WEST  INDIES 


rival  at  the  ticket  office,  the  agent  refuses  to  break 
the  law  with  no  further  assurance  that  he  is  author- 
ized to  do  so  than  the  word  of  a private  soldier. 
If  the  Minister  of  War  will  come  to  the  office  and 
tell  him  that  he  has  a signed  passport  for  us  in  his 
desk  at  home  he  will  sell  us  a ticket  under  protest. 
Nothing  remains  to  be  done  but  to  hire  a coach  and 
drive  again  with  all  speed  back  to  the  Ministry, 
upon  what  proves  to  be  the  last  of  our  many  visits 
to  Haitian  officialdom  in  our  attempts  to  secure 
this  particular  passport. 

Of  course  the  Minister  will  come  to  the  office  or 
do  anything  else  to  oblige  us ; and  says,  ‘‘  Go  along 
back  to  the  steamship  office.  I will  order  my  horse 
and  be  there  before  you.''  Somewhat  doubtingly 
we  start  back  to  the  office.  In  a little  while,  how- 
ever, true  to  his  word,  the  Minister  of  War  of  the 
Republic  of  Haiti,  in  a uniform  decked  with  yards 
upon  yards  of  gold  braid,  comes  riding  down  the 
street  on  a gaudily  caparisoned  stallion  and,  accom- 
panied by  his  aide,  dismounts  in  front  of  the  steam- 
ship office.  Entering,  he  pompously  asks  why  the 
agent  had  not  acceded  to  his  request  and  sold  us  a 
ticket,  since  the  passport  had  been  granted. 

But,"  replies  the  agent,  “ I could  not  accept  the 
word  of  a private  soldier  on  a matter  so  impor- 
tant." 

“ Quite  right,  quite  right ; but  their  passports 
have  been  granted  and  I have  them  locked  up  in 
ray  desk  at  home.  You  can  sell  them  their  tickets." 


HAITI 


97 


“ Certainly,  with  pleasure,”  replies  the  agent, 
now  that  you  command  it ; but  the  proceeding  is 
irregular  and  your  own  word  was  necessary.” 
Turning  to  us,  the  Minister  is  profuse  in  his 
wishes  that  we  may  have  a pleasant  trip  and  be 
able  before  long  to  do  his  country  the  honor  of  an- 
other visit.  We,  on  our  part,  express  our  thank- 
fulness to  him  for  coming  to  our  assistance.  We 
tell  him  that  Haiti  is  a delightful  country  and  that 
we  hope  to  return.  We  then  hasten  to  the  dock  to 
bargain  with  the  boatmen  to  take  us,  together  with 
our  baggage,  out  to  the  steamer,  lying  half  a mile 
from  shore,  and  impatiently  blowing  its  whistle  to 
hasten  the  completing  of  the  formalities  connected 
with  filling  out  the  final  sailing  papers. 

Soon  we  are  weighing  anchor  and  another  visit 
to  the  only  land  in  the  Western  World  where  black 
reigns  supreme  and  mere  white  man  is  made  to  feel 
his  petty  insignificance  is  brought  to  a close. 

All  of  the  details  just  described,  with  the  excep- 
tion of  the  visit  of  the  Minister  of  War  to  the 
steamship  office,  were  a necessary  concomitant  to 
any  visit  to  Haiti.  No  description  of  mine,  how- 
ever, can  give  an  adequate  conception  of  the  real 
situation.  I learned  in  later  visits  to  begin  activi- 
ties connected  with  securing  a passport  out  of  the 
Island  immediately  upon  arrival. 

We  were  not  in  Haiti,  however,  on  a pleasure 
trip;  but  to  study  conditions  and  to  set  forces  at 
work  that  should  make  for  bringing  to  its  people 


98  CKUSADING  IN  THE  WEST  INDIES 


the  message  contained  in  the  Book  of  Books.  The 
great  poverty  of  the  people  was  everywhere  evi- 
dent. A greatly  depreciated  currency  was  in  cir- 
culation. I found  that  a day’s  wage  in  the  Capital 
was  equivalent  to  about  ten  cents  in  American 
money.  We  immediately  reduced  the  selling  prices 
of  our  French  Bibles  to  a fraction  of  their  cost  in 
order  that,  in  Haiti  as  in  America,  a day’s  wage 
would  pay  for  a Bible. 

Long  shall  I remember  my  first  visit  to  Port-au- 
Prince;  and  the  visits  of  the  years  that  followed 
have  left  bright  spots  in  my  memory;  not  because 
of  the  pleasantness  of  the  sojourn  from  a physical 
standpoint  but  because  of  the  hearty  welcome  ac- 
corded me  by  the  groups  of  Protestant  workers 
throughout  the  Island.  So  few  are  those  that  are 
laboring  in  this  American  Africa  and  so  small  and 
isolated  are  the  bands  of  believers  who  are  fighting 
the  powers  of  darkness  and  evil  that  surround  them 
that  they  appreciate  to  the  full  the  visit  of  every 
representative  from  the  outside  world  who  comes 
into  their  midst. 


VI 


HAITI  {Continued) 

S Haiti  was  always  under  martial  law,  no 


description  of  it  would  be  complete  with- 


out a reference  to  its  army,  the  soldiery  of 
which  was  always  in  evidence.  For  the  most  part 
they  were  a dirty,  unkempt  lot  of  boys  and  young 
men,  whose  uniform  consisted  of  a dilapidated 
military  cap  and  a ragged  coat  and  trousers.  Their 
meagre  allowance  of  ten  cents  a week  was  scarcely 
ever  paid;  even  this  small  amount  being  stolen 
from  them  by  their  superior  officers. 

For  food  they  were  dependent  entirely  upon 
what  they  could  pick  up  at  odd  jobs,  beg  or  steal, 
in  the  communities  where  they  were  located.  One 
of  the  most  common  sights  was  that  of  a soldier 
squatting  before  a small  fire  of  sticks,  boiling,  in 
a tomato  can,  a sweet  potato  or  an  ear  of  corn ; all 
that  he  had  been  able  to  secure  for  his  one  cooked 
meal  that  day.  Whenever  one  met  a soldier  in  the 
road  or  on  the  street  one  expected  to  hear  Bate 
m'  cinq  coh  (“  Give  me  five  cents  ; and,  taking 
into  consideration  that  five  cents  was  worth  less 
than  one  cent  American  money,  one  always  felt  like 
conceding  the  request. 


99 


100  CEUSADING  IN  THE  WEST  INDIES 


How  were  these  soldiers  recruited  ? They  were 
secured  in  the  same  manner  as  their  forefathers 
were  captured  by  slave  raiders  and  brought  to  the 
Island.  There  were  no  volunteers  among  them. 
One  often  met  recruiting  officers  coming  along  a 
trail  driving  before  them  groups  of  men  with  their 
hands  tied  behind  their  backs,  taking  them  to  Port- 
au-Prince  or  some  other  town  to  make  soldiers  of 
them.  In  times  of  revolution  these  men,  brought 
in  from  the  country,  would  be  thrown  in  prison 
and  kept  there  until  enough  were  captured  to  form 
a company.  Meanwhile,  their  friends  brought 
them  food.  Is  it  any  wonder  that  few  men  were 
in  evidence  in  the  country;  and  that  in  times  of 
revolution  especially,  all  the  men  were  in  hiding? 
I have  travelled  from  early  morning  until  late  at 
night  across  the  peninsula  from  Jacmel  to  Leogane 
without  seeing  a single  man,  though  the  country  is 
thickly  inhabited. 

On  my  last  trip  to  Aux  Cayes  on  board  the 
steamship  Prasident,  our  boat  which  was  licensed 
to  carry  184,  passengers  and  crew,  took  on  800 
men  that  had  been  brought  in  from  the  mountains 
by  the  Government  raiders.  They  were  herded 
like  cattle  on  the  lower  deck,  just  as  they  had  been 
seized  in  their  native  mountains.  Among  them 
were  men  of  all  ages,  from  boys  of  thirteen  and 
fourteen,  to  toothless,  white-haired  old  men. 
When  I arrived  at  Port-au-Prince  this  time,  I 
found  that  all  able-bodied  men,  whatever  their  oc- 


HAITIAN  SOLDIERS  ON  THE  MARCH. 

CORNER  OF  PORT-AU-PRINCE,  HAITI,  MARKET  SQUARE. 


HAITI 


101 


oipatlon  or  profession,  were  required  to  sleep  in 
the  soldiers’  barracks  at  night,  where  the  army  of- 
ficials could  keep  their  eye  on  them.  In  such  times 
as  this,  work  by  our  colporters  was  difficult.  How- 
ever, ordinarily  we  could  always  secure  a permit 
from  the  military  authorities  for  a man  to  sell 
Bibles.  This  permit,  however,  he  must  always 
carry  with  him  to  show  when  required.  Other- 
wise he  might  be  arrested  and  dragged  into  the 
army. 

In  times  of  peace,  all  night  long  the  cries  of  the 
soldiers,  engaged  in  sentinel  duty,  could  be  heard 
in  the  streets  of  Port-au-Prince;  many  of  the 
young  boys  frightened,  I suppose,  at  being  alone, 
shouting  out  to  keep  themselves  company.  Walk- 
ing after  dark  in  the  unlighted  streets  of  the 
Capital,  one  was  sure  to  be  accosted  every  few 
blocks  by  the  words  ''Qui  oo?  ” from  some  dark 
corner.  This  was  meant  for  “ Who  are  you?  ” or 
the  ^‘Qui  vivc”  of  the  French.  If  no  attention 
was  paid  to  the  first  challenge  a second  would  fol- 
low with  a yell  of  rage  intended  to  terrify  by  its 
fierceness.  Our  reply  was  Btr anger  (a 

stranger).  *'Au  large  etranger*'  (“Go  along 
stranger”),  would  be  the  mollified  response,  fol- 
lowed by  a still  milder,  appealing,  “ Bale  m'  cinq 
cob  ” (“  Give  me  five  cents  ”)  which  one  had  not 
the  heart  to  resist. 

Reveille  came  at  four  in  the  morning.  After 
that  hour  soldiers  paraded  the  streets  with  their 


102  CKTJSADING  IN  THE  WEST  INDIES 

mstniments  of  noise,  making  such  a hullabaloo  that 
sleep  was  impossible.  They,  however,  seemed 
greatly  to  enjoy  the  experience.  It  was  their  one 
happy  hour  after  the  long  night  was  over. 

Haiti  has  a unique  way  of  treating  its  prisoners, 
whether  criminal  or  political.  They  are  never  fed, 
but  are  dependent  entirely  upon  food  brought  them 
by  relatives  and  friends.  In  cases  where  no  friends 
appear  to  bring  food,  the  prisoner  is  sent  out,  under 
guard,  to  beg  his  bread.  When  the  soldiers  were 
sent  to  arrest  a man,  in  case  he  could  not  be  found, 
they  would  arrest  his  wife  and  small  children,  and 
hold  them  until  the  man  gave  himself  up.  I have 
seen  women  in  the  jails  of  Haiti  herded  in  the 
common  room  with  the  men.  Not  only  the  women 
but  the  jail  officials  also,  have  told  me  they  were 
being  held  because  their  husbands  could  not  be 
found. 

Haiti  boasted  in  a model  constitution,  but  was 
never  governed  by  it.  It  was  always  a military 
dictatorship.  The  life  of  every  Haitian  was  at  the 
disposal  of  the  president,  who  frequently  could  not 
read,  and  over  whom  the  witch  doctors  had  gained 
an  ascendency.  Summary  executions  were  com- 
mon. Men,  frequently  the  best  in  the  land,  those 
who  had  acquired  an  education  and  were  so  ad- 
vanced in  their  views  that  the  president  was  afraid 
of  their  influence,  were  called  out  of  bed  at  night, 
taken  to  the  cemetery,  shot  and  buried  without  any 
form  of  trial.  On  one  of  my  visits  to  Haiti  after 


HAITI 


103 


a new  president  had  been  installed  as  a result  of  a 
successful  revolution,  I asked  if  there  had  been  any 
summary  executions.  Not  yet,''  replied  a person 
who  had  known  the  country  for  many  years,  and 
then  added,  “We  say,  not  yet,  because  sooner  or 
later  they  always  come." 

As  with  the  ignorant  elsewhere,  the  ignorant 
Haitian  cannot  stand  being  in  authority.  I once 
saw  a soldier  arrest  a poor  country  boy.  As  the 
soldier  was  taking  him  along  the  street  to  jail  the 
boy  cried  aloud  repeatedly,  “ I have  done  nothing. 
What  have  you  arrested  me  for?  Why  do  you 
take  me  to  jail  when  I have  done  nothing?  " Irri- 
tated at  his  cries,  the  soldier  set  upon  him  and  beat 
him  into  insensibility.  In  spite  of  its  great  natu- 
ral beauty  and  its  political  liberty,  Haiti  has  been  a 
land  of  darkness,  bloodshed  and  oppression. 

The  groups  of  Protestant  believers  found 
throughout  the  Island  are  really  a very  remarkable 
people.  The  Haitian  takes  his  religion  seriously. 
There  is  absolutely  none  of  the  hysterical  emotion 
that  is  witnessed  in  so  many  of  the  negro  churches 
in  America.  At  the  many  baptisms  I have  wit- 
nessed, none  of  those  baptized  have  come  out  of 
the  water  shouting,  as  is  customary  with  the  negro 
in  our  Southern  States.  His  religion  means  so 
much  to  him  that  the  Haitian  is  very  earnest  and 
serious-minded  about  it. 

In  spite,  however,  of  the  lack  of  show  and  ex- 
pressed emotion,  the  convert  in  Haiti  is  a very 


104  CRUSADING  IN  THE  WEST  INDIES 

happy  individual.  When  travelling  one  can  often 
tell  the  Protestant  converts  by  their  happy  faces. 
The  fact  is,  their  belief  in  Jesus  and  in  His  power 
to  free  them  from  evil,  is  such  a complete  emanci- 
pation from  the  thralls  of  superstition  that  they 
cannot  help  being  joyful. 

Along  with  his  fellow  islanders,  the  converted 
Haitian  usually  believes  in  the  power  of  the  witch 
doctors  and  in  the  potency  of  evil  spirits.  To  him 
both  are  realities.  On  the  other  hand,  he  believes 
that  the  Saviour,  in  whom  his  trust  is,  is  able  to 
save,  and  does  deliver  him  from  the  power  of  the 
evil  which  the  sorcerer  can  exercise,  as  wxll  as 
from  the  power  of  malignant  spirits  that  inhabit 
certain  trees  and  plants,  and  from  the  evil  designs 
of  the  spirits  of  the  departed  dead.  He  is  not  only 
saved  from  eternal  death  hereafter,  but  from  the 
powers  of  evil  in  this  life.  Here  is  the  secret  of 
his  happiness.  In  a country  where  evil  men  are 
objects  of  terror  because  of  the  supernatural 
powers  they  are  supposed  to  possess,  where  trees 
and  plants  are  the  dwelling-places  of  malevolent 
spirits,  where  the  dead  return  to  trouble  the  living, 
and  where  there  is  no  other  hope  for  salvation 
from  these  fears,  the  liberty  brought  to  the  soul  by 
belief  in  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  is  a very  real  thing 
indeed.  The  sorcerers  themselves  acknowledge 
that  their  spells  have  no  power  over  the  Protes- 
tants. 

Jacmel  has  the  largest  and  most  active  Protestant 


MARKET  IN  THOMAZEAU ; GIRL  SELLING  GRASS  MAT  USED  AS  BED. 


HAITI 


105 


community  in  Haiti.  The  congregation  was  build- 
ing a new  church,  A voodooist  had  become  con- 
verted. This  man  had  on  his  property  a tree  that 
had  been  the  object  of  worship  for  two  hundred 
years  and  no  one  knows  how  much  longer.  It  was 
very  large,  and  would  furnish  just  the  lumber 
needed  for  the  doors  of  the  church.  The  owner 
offered  it  to  the  pastor  for  the  purpose.  On  a day 
appointed  the  members  of  the  church  went  to  cut 
down  and  saw  up  the  tree.  No  one  else  could  be 
induced  to  touch  it.  People  came  from  miles 
around  to  look  on  while  those  adventurous  Prot- 
estants proceeded  to  fell  this  monarch  of  the  forest 
that  had  for  so  long  been  an  object  of  superstitious 
regard  as  the  abode  of  powerful  spirits  that  re- 
quired constant  propitiation.  The  people  verily 
expected  some  dire  calamity  to  befall  the  little  band 
because  of  their  temerity. 

The  tree  fell.  None  of  the  expected  calamities 
came  to  pass.  It  was  cut  into  the  lumber  which 
to-day  forms  the  doors  and  enters  into  the  wood- 
work of  the  Jacmel  church.  The  voodooists  had 
to  confess  that  their  charms  and  magic  had  no  ef- 
fect upon  the  Protestants.  Because  of  this  fear- 
less attitude  of  the  converts,  the  sorcerers  all  over 
Haiti  admit  that  the  Protestants  are  beyond  their 
reach  and  that  charms  and  magic  will  not  work 
against  them.  This  appears  to  be  an  argument  in 
favor  of  the  power  exercised  by  them  being  in  a 
measure  hypnotic.  In  order  to  be  able  to  gain  and 


106  CRUSADING  IN  THE  WEST  INDIES 


retain  an  ascendency  in  a subject  for  hypnotism, 
there  must  be  a belief  on  his  part  in  the  power  of 
the  hypnotizer.  The  converts  believing  themselves 
to  be  emancipated  from  the  power  of  the  sorcerer, 
at  once  become  so.  The  conversion,  however,  is 
none  the  less  genuine,  nor  the  spiritual  freedom  any 
the  less  real. 

Haiti  was  always  like  a dream;  everything 
seemed  so  unreal.  Was  it  possible  that  such  a 
beautiful  country,  possessing  so  many  natural  ad- 
vantages, a country  at  one  time  settled  and  built 
up  by  the  industrious  French,  could  have  become 
the  abode  of  such  horrors,  such  cruelty  and  such 
degradation?  Was  what  I saw  every  day  during 
my  stay  in  Haiti  real?  Were  some  of  its  inhabit- 
ants becoming  emancipated  from  these  horrors  and 
from  this  degradation  by  the  Gospel  of  Jesus 
Christ?  Were  these  little  groups  of  faithful  Chris- 
tians, who  were  struggling  alone  against  the 
powers  of  darkness  everywhere  around  them,  car- 
rying on  their  unequal  struggle  without  the  help  of 
America?  Was  it  impossible  to  make  generous 
America  look,  see,  feel,  and  act  to  help,  not  only  the 
native  Christians  in  their  attempt  to  emancipate 
their  fellows  from  the  slavery  of  superstition;  but 
to  help  the  whole  people  to  free  themselves  from  a 
regime  of  oppression  and  bloodshed  worse  than 
slavery  ? I must  have  appeared  more  ghostly  than 
real  on  my  visits  to  the  Board  rooms  of  the  various 
Missionary  Societies  in  New  York,  pleading  with 


HAITI 


107 


them  to  answer  the  prayer  of  the  struggling 
churches  in  Haiti  and  to  send  them  help  in  their 
time  of  need.  At  any  rate,  up  to  the  present,  the 
response  has  been  very  ethereal  indeed,  having 
failed  to  materialize. 

How  about  Bible  distribution,  which  was  the 
purpose  for  which  I had  visited  the  Island  ? With 
the  exception  of  the  inhabitants  of  Guadeloupe, 
mentioned  later,  I never  saw  people  more  eager  to 
buy  the  Bible.  No  representatve  of  the  American 
Bible  Society  had  visited  the  Island  for  several 
years;  and  we  found  little  groups  of  believers  in 
many  places  who  needed  Bibles  for  their  own  use. 
Besides  these  there  were  some  persons  in  almost 
every  neighborhood  who  could  read  and  who  were 
glad  to  buy  the  Bible.  Many,  I am  sure,  purchased 
because  of  a superstitious  belief  that  the  Bible 
would  act  as  a charm  to  ward  off  calamity  from 
their  home.  Everywhere,  Bibles,  Testaments, 
Gospels,  especially  the  latter,  were  sold — thousands 
of  them. 

The  customs  of  Haiti  lend  themselves  to  this 
kind  of  evangelistic  work.  In  different  parts  of 
the  Island  there  are  market-places  where  the  people 
are  accustomed  to  meet  on  certain  days  for  trade 
by  barter.  The  inhabitants  of  the  mountain  dis- 
tricts bring  their  coffee,  cacao,  corn,  eggs,  chickens, 
casava,  anything  which  they  may  have  made  or 
produced,  to  these  markets.  Thither  also  go  mer- 
chants from  the  city,  buyers  on  the  small  scale. 


108  CEUSADING  IN  THE  WEST  INDIES 


mostly  women,  with  cloth,  flour,  needles,  thread, 
pins,  matches,  cheap  jewelry,  beads,  anything  that 
a country  woman  might  wish  to  buy  in  exchange 
for  her  produce.  These  markets  are  in  the  open 
air  and  are  well  attended.  The  women  bring  their 
produce  and  manufactured  ware,  lay  it  down  beside 
the  road  and  display  it  spread  out  or  in  heaps ; and 
squatting  on  their  haunches  behind  the  goods  thus 
exposed  to  view,  spend  the  day  offering  them  to 
the  passers-by.  At  these  fairs  we  find  exposed  for 
sale  many  articles  of  peculiarly  Haitian  manufac- 
ture, such  as  fancy  straw  saddles  for  the  donkeys, 
as  well  as  immense  panniers,  large  enough  to  take 
in  the  bottom  of  a barrel,  hats  of  peculiar  shape, 
baskets,  and  a thick  rush  mat  which  is  used  for  a 
bed  throughout  Haiti,  being  spread  on  the  floor  at 
night  and  rolled  up  during  the  day,  halters,  ropes 
of  native  fiber,  etc.,  etc.  At  these  fairs  we  fre- 
quently sold  large  numbers  of  books. 

One  Saturday  I visited,  in  company  with  Mr. 
Jackson,  the  market  of  Thomazeau,  not  far  from 
the  Dominican  border.  Thomazeau  is  reached  by 
rail  from  Port-au-Prince.  We  sold  many  books 
on  the  train  and  at  the  stations  on  the  way.  As 
soon  as  we  arrived  at  the  market  square  we  found 
a woman  who  was  so  interested  that  she  not  only 
purchased  a book  herself  but  went  along  ahead  of 
us  telling  everybody  what  we  were  selling  and  urg- 
ing them  to  buy.  We  soon  sold  out.  The  follow- 
ing Saturday,  Mr.  Jackson,  encouraged  by  what  we 


HAITI 


109 


had  done,  returned  to  the  same  place.  This  time 
he  had  very  poor  success.  The  very  same  woman, 
having  been  so  instructed  by  the  priest,  went  ahead 
of  him  warning  the  people  against  the  books  of  the 
heretic.  This  kind  of  opposition  used  to  be  com- 
mon all  over  Latin  America  but  is  now  becoming 
rare  in  the  West  Indies. 

The  principal  exports  of  Haiti  are  coffee,  dye- 
woods,  and  cacao ; the  principal  imports,  cloth  and 
wheat  flour.  Not  much  bread,  however,  is  used  in 
the  interior,  as  the  people  depend  mostly  upon  such 
substitutes  as  millet,  the  green  plantain  or  banana, 
the  yam,  the  sweet  potato,  and  casava  roots.  Rice 
and  beans  are  produced  in  small  quantities.  A 
mixture  of  rice  and  red  beans  goes  by  the  name  of 
the  “ national  dish  ” in  the  restaurants  of  Port-au- 
Prince.  The  principal  single  article  of  import  is 
blue  denim,  the  cloth  from  which  overalls  are  made 
in  America.  In  Haiti  this  cloth  is  used  almost  ex- 
clusively for  the  every-day  clothing  of  men,  women 
and  children.  On  market  days  the  trails  are  liter- 
ally blue  with  people  coming  and  going,  clothed  in 
this  most  durable  fabric.  One  of  the  great  regular 
markets,  or  fairs,  is  held  in  the  mountains,  ten 
miles  inland  from  Port-au-Prince,  on  a treeless 
ridge  between  two  higher  ranges.  This  isolated 
market-place  thronged  with  Haitians,  dressed  in 
blue,  and  bargaining  their  wares,  is  an  interesting 
sight. 

Backward  as  Haiti  is,  she  has  discovered  that 


108  CEUSADIKG  IN  THE  WEST  INDIES 


mostly  women,  with  cloth,  flour,  needles,  thread, 
pins,  matches,  cheap  jewelry,  beads,  anything  that 
a country  woman  might  wish  to  buy  in  exchange 
for  her  produce.  These  markets  are  in  the  open 
air  and  are  well  attended.  The  women  bring  their 
produce  and  manufactured  ware,  lay  it  down  beside 
the  road  and  display  it  spread  out  or  in  heaps ; and 
squatting  on  their  haunches  behind  the  goods  thus 
exposed  to  view,  spend  the  day  offering  them  to 
the  passers-by.  At  these  fairs  we  find  exposed  for 
sale  many  articles  of  peculiarly  Haitian  manufac- 
ture, such  as  fancy  straw  saddles  for  the  donkeys, 
as  well  as  immense  panniers,  large  enough  to  take 
in  the  bottom  of  a barrel,  hats  of  peculiar  shape, 
baskets,  and  a thick  rush  mat  which  is  used  for  a 
bed  throughout  Haiti,  being  spread  on  the  floor  at 
night  and  rolled  up  during  the  day,  halters,  ropes 
of  native  fiber,  etc.,  etc.  At  these  fairs  we  fre- 
quently sold  large  numbers  of  books. 

One  Saturday  I visited,  in  company  with  Mr. 
Jackson,  the  market  of  Thomazeau,  not  far  from 
the  Dominican  border.  Thomazeau  is  reached  by 
rail  from  Port-au-Prince.  We  sold  many  books 
on  the  train  and  at  the  stations  on  the  way.  As 
soon  as  we  arrived  at  the  market  square  we  found 
a woman  who  was  so  interested  that  she  not  only 
purchased  a book  herself  but  went  along  ahead  of 
us  telling  everybody  what  we  were  selling  and  urg- 
ing them  to  buy.  We  soon  sold  out.  The  follow- 
ing Saturday,  Mr.  Jackson,  encouraged  by  what  we 


HAITI 


109 


had  done,  returned  to  the  same  place.  This  time 
he  had  very  poor  success.  The  very  same  woman, 
having  been  so  instructed  by  the  priest,  went  ahead 
of  him  warning  the  people  against  the  books  of  the 
heretic.  This  kind  of  opposition  used  to  be  com- 
mon all  over  Latin  America  but  is  now  becoming 
rare  in  the  West  Indies. 

The  principal  exports  of  Haiti  are  coffee,  dye- 
woods,  and  cacao ; the  principal  imports,  cloth  and 
wheat  flour.  Not  much  bread,  however,  is  used  in 
the  interior,  as  the  people  depend  mostly  upon  such 
substitutes  as  millet,  the  green  plantain  or  banana, 
the  yam,  the  sweet  potato,  and  casava  roots.  Rice 
and  beans  are  produced  in  small  quantities.  A 
mixture  of  rice  and  red  beans  goes  by  the  name  of 
the  “ national  dish  ” in  the  restaurants  of  Port-au- 
Prince.  The  principal  single  article  of  import  is 
blue  denim,  the  cloth  from  which  overalls  are  made 
in  America.  In  Haiti  this  cloth  is  used  almost  ex- 
clusively for  the  every-day  clothing  of  men,  women 
and  children.  On  market  days  the  trails  are  liter- 
ally blue  with  people  coming  and  going,  clothed  in 
this  most  durable  fabric.  One  of  the  great  regular 
markets,  or  fairs,  is  held  in  the  mountains,  ten 
miles  inland  from  Port-au-Prince,  on  a treeless 
ridge  between  two  higher  ranges.  This  isolated 
market-place  thronged  with  Haitians,  dressed  in 
blue,  and  bargaining  their  wares,  is  an  interesting 
sight. 

Backward  as  Haiti  is,  she  has  discovered  that 


110  CEUSADING  IN  THE  WEST  INDIES 


Bible  readers,  those  who  profess  to  live  by  the 
principles  laid  down  in  the  Book,  are  the  only  peo- 
ple to  be  depended  upon;  and  these  are  the  people 
whom  we  find  occupying  positions  of  trust  all  over 
the  Island,  whether  in  government  employ  or  in 
the  employ  of  private  concerns. 

It  is  not  rare  to  find  instances  of  conversion 
through  the  reading  of  the  Bible.  The  Methodist 
church  of  Jeremie  was  founded  as  the  result  of  the 
work  of  a colporter  of  the  British  and  Foreign 
Bible  Society.  A New  Testament  that  he  sold  fell 
into  the  hands  of  the  wife  of  a judge.  The  woman 
had  lost  confidence  in  the  priests,  because  those  of 
her  acquaintance  were  bad  men.  As  soon  as  she 
had  begun  to  read  the  newly  discovered  Book  she 
felt  that  she  had  at  last  found  the  Truth.  The 
colporter  had  rented  a room  where  he  preached 
evenings.  At  first  she  stood  outside  and  listened 
to  his  preaching  and  singing.  After  a few  such 
visits  she  gathered  courage  to  enter.  She  found 
Christ.  Her  husband  followed  her  example  and 
became  the  first  native-born  Methodist  minister  in 
Haiti.  To-day  members  of  that  family  are  Prot- 
estants and  occupying  positions  of  trust  in  many 
places  in  the  Island. 

The  Rev.  P.  N.  Lherisson,  pastor  of  the  Baptist 
church  at  Jacmel,  was  converted  through  the  read- 
ing of  a Bible  borrowed  from  a friend.  Mr.  Lher- 
isson was  the  son  of  wealthy  parents;  had  spent 
many  years  in  France  and  England ; but,  on  return- 


BULL,  AND  AUTHOR  STANDING. 


HAITI 


111 


mg  to  the  Island,  had  lost  his  all  in  one  of  the  many 
revolutions.  He  was  quite  an  artist  and  used  to 
amuse  himself  painting.  His  caprice  led  him  to 
conceive  the  idea  of  painting  a picture  of  Christ 
and  the  woman  at  the  well.  He  had  never  read 
the  Bible.  He  therefore  thought  that  in  order  to 
get  the  expression  on  the  faces  he  had  better  read 
the  original  story  and  become  imbued  with  the  spirit 
of  the  narrative.  He  borrowed  a Bible  for  this 
purpose.  While  reading  he  became  converted  and 
the  subject  became  too  sacred  for  him  to  attempt  to 
put  on  canvas.  The  first  time  I met  Mr.  Lheris- 
son  at  his  home  in  Jacmel,  having  just  run  ashore 
to  spend  a few  hours  while  our  steamer  was  un- 
loading and  taking  on  freight  in  the  Bay,  he  told 
me  the  story  of  his  conversion  and  showed  me  the 
unfinished  picture. 

( The  Sunday  following  his  conversion,  in  com- 
pany with  a lifelong  friend  and  companion,  Dr. 
■Nerva  Gousse,  Mr.  Lherisson  attended  the  service 
held  by  an  English  missionary  in  the  little  Baptist 
chapel.  Hitherto  the  services  had  been  quite  poorly 
attended  by  lowly  people  only.  The  missionary, 
seeing  these  two  young  men  of  the  better  class 
come  in,  feared  some  trouble,  and  asked  them 
rather  hesitatingly  what  they  wanted.  “ The 
truth,”  replied  Mr.  Lherisson.  Not  quite  reas- 
sured that  the  young  men  were  not  up  to  some  mis- 
chief, or  were  not  there  to  spy  upon  him  for  the 
government,  the  missionary  went  on  with  the  serv- 


112  CRUSADING  IN  THE  WEST  INDIES 


ice.  Shortly  after  this  the  two  young  men  joined 
the  church. 

Later,  when  the  English  missionary  was  obliged 
to  leave  the  Island,  Mr.  Lherisson  was  ordained  in 
order  to  be  able  to  care  for  the  small  and  strug- 
gling congregation.  Dr.  Gousse  has  always  been 
his  most  faithful  deacon,  assistant  preacher,  and 
loyal  supporter  of  every  enterprise  undertaken  by 
the  church.  Under  the  leadership  of  Mr.  Lheris- 
son, the  Baptist  church  at  Jacmel  has  become  the 
largest  and  most  successful  missionary  church  in 
the  West  Indies.  During  his  residence  abroad  he 
had  acquired  a business  education,  and  is  consecrat- 
ing every  bit  of  his  time  and  inexhaustible  energy 
to  the  work  of  evangelizing  and  elevating  his  own 
people.  It  has  been  my  privilege  to  be  a guest  in 
his  home  and  see  him  at  his  work.  Rising  between 
four  and  five  o’clock  in  the  morning,  every  hour  of 
the  day  is  filled  with  the  King’s  business  until  he 
retires  at  night. 


VII 


HAITI  {Continued) 

S a result  of  the  consecrated  activities 


of  their  energetic  pastor,  the  Jacmel 


church  has  established  twelve  outstations, 
the  most  distant  of  which  is  seven  and  a half  hours, 
by  horseback,  from  Jacmel. — ^This  is  the  way  dis- 
tances are  spoken  of  in  that  part  of  Haiti.  Pastor 
Lherisson  himself  teaches  at  some  one  of  these 
outstations  every  Sunday  * morning,  returning  to 
Jacmel  to  preach  at  night.  This  gives  the  home 
church  a weekly  preaching  service  and  the  out- 
stations a visit  from  the  pastor  once  a quarter. 
The  last  Sunday  in  the  quarter  Mr.  Lherisson 
spends  the  whole  day  in  Jacmel.  This  is  com- 
munion Sunday  and  the  church  members  from  all 
the  countryside  flock  to  the  central  church,  filling 
the  building  to  its  utmost  capacity  and  producing 
a splendid  impression  upon  the  inhabitants  of  the 


Besides  the  church  work,  the  pastor  and  his  wife 
with  the  assistance  of  Miss  Page,  an  English  lady, 
a self-supporting  missionary  worker,  conduct  a 
school,  which  is  recognized  as  the  best  in  the  city. 
The  church  has  also  established  several  primary 


town. 


“3 


114  CEUSADING  IN  THE  WEST  INDIES 


schools  in  the  mountains  at  the  various  mission 
points.  Here  some  member  of  the  community, 
who  knows  how  to  read,  is  employed  to  teach  the 
converts  and  their  children  to  read  the  Bible  and 
solve  simple  problems  in  arithmetic.  Mr.  Lheris- 
son  does  not  believe  in  preaching  the  Gospel  with- 
out following  it  up  with  sufficient  education,  at 
least,  to  enable  the  convert  to  read  the  Bible.  The 
Bibles  for  this  work  are  supplied  by  the  American 
Bible  Society. 

On  one  of  my  trips  I went  with  this  remarkable 
man  to  visit  his  farthest  outpost.  It  lay  directly  on 
my  road  over  the  mountains  from  Jacmel  to 
Leogane,  which  latter  town  I was  to  visit  also  on 
my  way  to  Port-au-Prince.  The  mule  I rode  was 
lent  me  by  Dr.  Nerva  Gousse,  who  always  gave 
me  a warm  'welcome  to  Jacmel,  because  of  his 
enthusiastic  belief  in  the  work  of  Bible  distribu- 
tion. 

Dr.  Gousse  is  the  leading  lay  citizen  of  Jacmel. 
I was  in  the  town  at  the  time  of  the  revolution  that 
overthrew  President  Simon.  From  whispering 
group  to  whispering  group,  the  news  circulated  that 
the  president  had  been  defeated  by  the  revolution- 
ist, Le  Conte,  and  had  retreated  to  the  Capital. 
When  the  rumor  was  verified,  the  citizens  of 
Jacmel  waited  on  Dr.  Gousse  and  asked  him  to 
become  governor  of  the  city,  till  such  time  as  the 
central  government  should  be  reestablished  in  Port- 
au-Prince.  In  this  way  bloodshed  was  avoided, 


HAITI 


115 


quiet  maintained,  and  Jacmel  had  no  part  in  the 
revolution.  The  Doctor’s  use  of  the  position  amply 
justified  the  confidence  placed  in  him  by  his  fellow 
citizens.  After  the  revolution  was  over  he  retired 
to  private  life. 

It  was  late  Saturday  afternoon  when  we  started 
out  along  the  trail  leading  up  the  stream  which 
emptied  into  the  sea  at  Jacmel.  This  path  we 
were  to  follow  until  the  river  became  a mere 
rivulet.  Then,  leaving  the  stream  we  were  to 
proceed  to  the  top  of  Gros  Morne  (Big  Mountain), 
where  the  Sunday  service  was  to  be  held.  Word 
had  been  sent  ahead  that  we  were  coming  and  that 
we  would  spend  the  night  at  the  home  of  one  of  the 
deacons  living  near  the  road.  Just  before  arriving 
at  the  deacon’s  house,  we  visited  the  little  chapel 
which  houses  the  nearest  outstation  of  the  Jacmel 
church.  The  building  was  erected  by  the  believers 
of  the  locality  and  the  material  and  carpenter  work 
were  largely  their  own  contribution.  The  mason 
who  laid  the  foundation  was  converted  shortly 
after  the  completion  of  the  building. 

A sendee  had  been  announced  to  be  held  at  the 
home  of  the  deacon.  I gave  a short  talk  on  the 
importance  of  putting  the  service  of  God  first  in 
the  life  of  the  individual  and  of  the  nation,  illus- 
trating some  of  the  benefits  to  be  derived  from  His 
service.  At  the  close  of  my  talk,  Mr.  Lherisson 
said:  “We  can  see  the  difference  here  since  the 
Gospel  has  been  preached  and  we  have  begun  to 


116  CRUSADING  IN  THE  WEST  INDIES 


study  the  Bible.  Can  we  not  ? ” A toothless, 
white-haired  old  woman  in  the  back  of  the  room 
jumped  up  quickly  and  said,  putting  her  fingers 
first  to  her  eyes  and  then  to  her  ears,  suiting  the  ac- 
tion to  the  word : ‘‘Anyone  who  has  eyes  to  see  with 
and  ears  to  hear  with,  can  see  the  difference  in  this 
valley  since  the  Gospel  came  here.  There  are  no 
more  voodoo  dances;  no  more  drunkenness;  no 
more  fighting;  but  peace  and  quiet  and  good-will 
have  come.” 

Long  before  daylight  the  following  morning,  we 
again  “ hit  the  trail  ” that  led  to  the  top  of  the 
mountain.  It  was  a delightfully  bright,  starry 
morning,  the  prelude  to  a bright,  hot  day;  cool, 
however,  at  this  altitude.  The  air  w^as'  filled  with 
the  delicious  fragrance  of  the  beautiful  coffee  blos- 
soms. By  getting  this  early  start  w^e  would  reach 
the  top  of  the  mountain  in  time  for  a morning 
service  early  enough  to  allow  the  pastor  to  return 
to  Jacmel  for  the  evening. 

At  daylight  we  came  up  with  a barefooted 
preacher  on  his  way  to  another  of  the  outstations, 
where  he  was  to  preach,  and  teach  the  Sunday- 
school  lesson  that  he  had  been  studying  throughout 
the  week  with  the  pastor.  This  man  was  carrying 
a large  baked  sweet  potato  in  his  pocket  for  lunch. 
After  going  along  with  us  for  a short  distance,  he 
struck  off  up  the  valley  of  a small  stream  that 
joined  the  one  we  were  following.  A little  further 
on  we  overtook  two  girls,  ten  and  sixteen  years  of 


HAITI 


117 


age,  who  were  walking  to  the  services  we  were  to 
attend.  Very  happy  they  were  to  have  the  company 
of  the  pastor  and  they  kept  pace  with  us  until  we 
arrived  at  the  point  where  the  service  was  held. 
Towards  the  last  of  the  journey  the  path  became  so 
steep  that  we  walked,  or,  rather,  climbed,  leading 
our  mules  rather  than  make  them  carry  us. 

Arrived  at  the  top  of  the  mountain,  we  came  in 
sight  of  the  beautiful  bay  at  the  head  of  which 
Port-au-Prince  is  located.  In  the  distance  lay  the 
Isle  of  Gonave  in  its  setting  of  azure,  and  over- 
looking the  lower  ranges,  the  eye  rested  on  the 
fertile  plain  of  Leogane.  Here,  in  view  of  a sight 
worth  coming  hundreds  of  miles  to  see,  the  believers 
had  formed  a shelter  of  poles  and  boughs  to  pro- 
tect them  from  the  sun.  We  found  quietly  waiting 
a congregation  of  people  who  had  been  expecting, 
not  their  pastor,  but  simply  one  of  the  deacons  to 
address  them  and  teach  the  lesson  for  the  day. 

I was  more  than  surprised  at  the  presence  of  so 
many  mountain  folk.  I was  particularly  pleased 
with  the  attention  with  which  they  followed  the 
address  of  the  pastor  and  the  intelligence  with 
which  they  listened  to  my  simple  explanation  of 
the  American  Bible  Society  and  its  work.  There 
were  two  hundred  and  ninety-five  people  present. 
They  were  counted  by  a simple  expedient.  I asked 
the  pastor  how  many  people  he  thought  there  were. 

“ We  can  easily  find  out,”  he  said,  and,  raising 
his  voice  asked  everyone  present  to  bring  one  peb- 


118  CRUSADING  IN  THE  WEST  INDIES 


ble  and  drop  it  in  his  hand.  All  responded,  bring- 
ing to  him  two  hundred  and  ninety-five  pebbles. 
Never,  in  any  land,  have  I been  present  at  a more 
orderly  or  more  impressive  service  than  this  one 
held  on  the  summit  of  Gros  Mome,  an  extreme  out- 
post, as  it  were,  of  the  kingdom  in  the  interior  of 
Haiti. 

Mr.  Lherisson  was  obliged  to  leave  immediately 
after  the  close  of  the  sendee  in  order  to  return  to 
Jacmel  for  the  evening.  I proceeded,  however,  in 
company  with  some  of  the  worshippers  who  were 
going  my  way.  All  that  beautiful  afternoon  I con- 
tinued my  journey  with  them. 

From  our  starting  point,  six  thousand  feet  above 
sea  level,  we  could  see  over  the  tops  of  the  inter- 
vening mountain  ranges  on  to  the  plain  of  Leogane, 
said  to  be  the  most  productive  spot  in  Haiti.  Be- 
yond lay  the  cool  waters  of  the  Caribbean  with  the 
Island  of  Gonave  in  the  distance.  I had  viewed 
these  mountains  before,  from  the  sea,  when  the 
point  where  I stood  was  indistinct  in  the  haze  and 
the  mountains  appeared  as  though  forest-covered. 
My  impressions  then  had  been  that  the  greater  part 
of  the  intervening  space  was  in  forest.  This  is, 
however,  not  the  case.  On  my  first  visit  to  Haiti, 
an  Englishman,  who  ought  to  have  known  better, 
said  to  me:  “ The  Haitians  do  not  plant  amlhing. 
They  simply  harvest  that  which  grows  of  itself.” 
During  this  trip  I came  to  realize  how  far  from 
the  truth  this  statement  was.  The  land  in  this  part 


HAITI 


119 


of  Haiti  has  all  been  parcelled  out  into  small  hold- 
ings and  practically  every  foot  of  it  is  under  culti- 
vation. 

Coffee  is  the  great  money  crop  of  the  Island. 
This  is  grown  almost  everywhere;  and  the  coffee 
bush,  together  with  the  shade  trees  that  are  planted 
to  protect  it,  fills  the  valleys  of  the  mountain 
streams  for  a certain  distance  up  their  sides. 
Higher  up  begin  the  plots  of  corn,  sweet  potatoes, 
etc.,  while  on  the  tops  of  the  mountains  and  hills 
between  us  and  the  sea  a crop  of  millet  is  growing. 
Every  part  of  the  mountains  in  this  section  of 
Haiti  is  under  cultivation.  Fields  of  millet  and 
corn  are  to  be  seen  growing  on  slopes  so  steep  that 
one  wonders  how  the  workers  possibly  manage  to 
maintain  a foothold  while  doing  the  labor  of  plant- 
ing, weeding  and  harvesting. 

There  was  quite  a little  company  of  us  starting 
out  on  the  trail  down  the  mountainside,  or  rather, 
down  the  sides  of  the  mountains;  for  there  were 
the  intervening  ranges  to  cross.  Our  number, 
however,  soon  began  to  grow  smaller;  as,  in  ones 
and  twos,  and  occasionally  by  whole  families,  they 
would  leave  the  main  trail  and  go  to  their  homes 
on  the  mountainside.  We  passed  a couple  ''Hoitn- 
forts ''  as  the  huts  of  the  sorcerers  are  called.  The 
Christians  took  great  satisfaction  in  pointing  these 
out  to  me  and  in  telling  me  that,  though  they  once 
feared  these  people  and  worshipped  with  them, 
they  were  now  out  of  their  power. 


120  CEUSADING  IX  THE  WEST  INDIES 


At  a few  places,  as  people  left  our  group,  they 
would  ask  me  to  stop  and  see  their  homes.  One 
couple  wanted  to  give  me  a sturdy  little  girl  of 
about  eleven  years  of  age  to  take  to  America;  for 
they  said  she  would  be  better  off  with  me  than 
with  them. 

At  one  home  there  were  a father,  mother,  and 
four  children.  The  parents  seemed  so  bright, 
happy  and  earnest  that  I asked  them  if  they  were 
church  members,  anticipating  an  answer  in  the 
affirmative.  There  was  just  a trace  of  sadness  in 
the  man’s  voice  as  he  answered : 

“ No,  we  are  believers,  but  we  are  not  married.” 
Farther  on  we  came  to  the  house  of  Mr.  Canusse 
Desir  where  I was  to  spend  the  night.  A neighbor 
came  bringing  his  children  and  their  mother,  that  I 
might  see  them.  Again  I asked  the  same  question 
and  received  the  same  reply:  ‘‘  No,  w^e  are  not 
members,  we  are  not  married,  we  are  believers 
only.” 

Here  is  one  of  the  great  difficulties  in  the  way 
of  the  moral  uplift  and  Christianizing  of  Haiti. 
The  Romish  priests  have  charged  so  much  for  the 
marriage  fee  that  it  has  been  out  of  the  question  for 
a poor  man  to  think  of  paying  it.  At  the  same 
time,  although  the  laws  of  Haiti  provide  for  a 
civil  marriage,  the  priests  have  taught  that  to  go 
through  the  form  of  civil  marriage  was  wrong, 
worse  than  living  together  without  any  ceremony 
whatever. 


HAITI 


121 


There  are  on  the  waiting  list  as  prospective  can- 
didates for  membership  in  the  Jacmel  church  about 
one  thousand  six  hundred  persons  who  have  come 
to  believe  in  Jesus  Christ  and  to  go  by  the  name  of 
believers.  They  are  not  members  of  the  church 
and  have  no  voice  in  its  government.  By  far  the 
greater  number  of  these  are  being  kept  out  because 
of  their  irregular  marital  relations.  The  reader 
will  ask  as  I did:  “Why  do  these  converts  not 
marry  ? ” The  principal  reason  is  because  the  laws 
are  such  that  in  very  many  cases  they  cannot  se- 
cure the  necessary  documents.  A great  deal  of  red 
tape  has  to  be  unwound  and  considerable  informa- 
tion secured  before  a civil  marriage  can  be  per- 
formed. The  certificates  of  birth  of  both  parties 
must  accompany  the  application  and  it  is  seldom 
that  these  can  be  secured.  Then  the  certificates  of 
birth  of  the  children  that  have  already  resulted 
from  the  union  are  required.  For  people  who  have 
been  living  without  paying  any  attention  to  such 
things,  the  securing  of  these  becomes  very  difficult 
if  not  impossible.  The  longer  the  marriage  has 
been  put  off  the  more  the  formalities  that  have  to 
be  gone  through.  There  is  some  expense  attached 
to  each  step  of  the  process  making  the  cost  almost 
prohibitive.  In  some  cases  the  Jacmel  church  has 
borne  the  expense  in  connection  with  securing  the 
marriage  papers,  advancing  the  money  to  the  par- 
ties as  a loan  to  be  paid  back  by  installments.  I 
understand  that  the  church  has  a small  sum  that  it 


122  CEUSADING  IN  THE  WEST  INDIES 


is  using  for  this  purpose.  As  the  amount  advanced 
is  paid  back,  other  worthy  applicants  are  helped  in 
the  same  way. 

In  the  case  of  such  couples  as  those  referred  to, 
the  question  will  perhaps  suggest  itself  to  the 
reader  as  it  did  to  me:  “If  these  parties  have  been 
living  together  for  years,  have  been  faithful  to  each 
other,  and  are  raising  their  children  in  the  Chris- 
tian faith,  they  are  husband  and  wife  as  truly  as 
were  Isaac  and  Rebecca.  Why  not  receive  them 
into  membership?  ” The  reply  was;  “ The  church 
wishes  to  set  and  maintain  the  highest  standard  of 
social  relationship  and  can  therefore  admit  to 
membership  only  such  as  are  living  in  conformity 
to  the  laws  of  both  God  and  man.’* 

The  church,  however,  cannot  advise  the  sepa- 
ration of  these  couples  and  the  breaking  up  of  the 
families.  Withholding  church  membership  cannot 
injure  them.  All  the  privileges  of  a Christian  com- 
munity are  theirs.  They  attend  the  church  services, 
the  Sunday  schools  are  open  to  their  children,  and 
they  contribute  to  the  work  of  the  church.  On  the 
other  hand  it  would  work  injury  to  the  church 
were  they  admitted ; for  one  irregularity  being  al- 
lowed it  would  be  difficult  to  know  where  to  draw 
the  line.  These  couples  admit  the  justice  of  the 
attitude  taken  by  the  church.  Moreover,  this 
stand  has  greatly  helped  in  the  uplift  of  the  moral 
life  of  the  community. 


VIII 


HAITI  {Concluded) 

WE  have  slept  in  the  native  huts  and  in  the 
open  air,  and  have  never  carried  arms. 
There  has  never  been  the  least  con- 
sciousness of  personal  danger  from  the  attitude  of 
the  people.  They  were  uniformly  courteous  and 
obliging.  I was  treated  impolitely  but  once. 
When  selling  books  for  the  first  time  in  the  market 
at  Leogane,  I approached  a prosperous  looking 
man  and  asked  him  if  he  would  not  like  to  make  a 
purchase.  He  answered  very  gruffly,  No ; why 
are  you,  a white  man,  selling  books  here  ? I want 
none  of  them.”  Unable  to  arrive  at  any  conclusion 
as  to  why  that  particular  person  should  have  been 
angry  with  me  I mentioned  the  matter  to  Mr. 
Turnbull  the  first  time  I saw  him.  Did  you  say 
‘ Good-day  ’ before  offering  the  book?  ” asked  Mr. 
Turnbull.  I had  not  done  so,  and  the  man  felt 
mortally  offended.  A group  of  men  with  surly 
looks  may  be  discussing  unfavorably  the  presence 
of  the  foreigner,  when  a smile  and  a cheery  word 
from  him  will  disarm  suspicion  and  change  the 
attitude  of  the  whole  group.  They  are  as  pleased 

123 


124  CEUSADING  IN  THE  WEST  INDIES 


as  children  at  being  noticed  and  spoken  to  cheer- 
fully. 

One  must  always  notice  and  say  good-day  to  a 
fellow  traveller,  whether  meeting  or  passing  him 
on  the  road.  On  joining  a group  one  should  notice 
and  pass  a word  of  salutation  with  each  member  of 
the  party,  otherwise  offense  is  likely  to  be  taken. 

Mr.  Delattre,  of  St.  Marc,  Haiti,  who  had  come 
to  understand  the  Patois,  told  me  of  visiting  an 
acquaintance,  a shoemaker  in  his  shop.  Two  other 
men  were  present  whom  he  did  not  go  through  the 
formality  of  addressing.  During  their  conversa- 
tion the  shoemaker  was  called  away  and  my  friend 
heard  one  of  the  two  other  Haitians  who  were  in 
the  shop  say  to  his  companion  in  Patois  which  he 
thought  Mr.  Delattre  would  not  understand:  ‘‘I 
would  like  to  kill  that  man,  cut  out  his  heart  and 
drink  his  blood.”  Surprised,  Mr.  Delattre  ad- 
dressed him  in  Patois  asking  why  he  felt  that  en- 
mity towards  him.  The  reply  was  ''Oo  pas  di  bon- 
jouP  (‘‘You  did  not  say  good-morning.”)  It  took 
considerable  explanation  on  the  part  of  the  French- 
man to  obliterate  the  bad  impression  caused  by 
what  had  been  considered  a direct  insult. 

The  last  thing  before  retiring  at  night  every 
member  of  the  family  shakes  hands  with  every 
other  member,  as  well  as  with  any  guests  or  friends 
present.  They  also  shake  hands  again  all  round 
when  joining  the  family  group  in  the  morning. 
Children  shake  hands  and  present  their  cheeks  to  be 


HAITI 


125 


kissed.  In  fact,  whenever  a friend  visits  a family 
this  is  the  salutation  for  the  children  when  greet- 
ing or  being  introduced.  On  my  first  visit  to  Port- 
au-Prince  I accompanied  Mr.  Turnbull  on  some 
pastoral  visits.  He  also  called  with  me  on  some 
friends  to  whom  he  wished  to  introduce  the  repre- 
sentative of  the  American  Bible  Society.  The  chil- 
dren of  the  families  visited  would  come  and  stand 
demurely  near  the  door  waiting  till  the  preliminary 
salutations  and  remarks  were  over  in  order  to  be 
introduced  to  the  pastor  and  the  stranger.  Then 
marching  forward  with  smiling  faces,  the  whites  of 
their  eyes  sparkling,  they  would  place  their  hands 
confidingly  in  ours,  and  at  the  same  time  present 
the  cheek  to  be  kissed.  Noticing  that  the  nearly 
grown  girls  of  the  family  did  the  same  thing,  I said 
to  Mr.  Turnbull:  “ How  do  you  know  when  to  stop 
kissing  the  girls?  ’’  He  replied:  “ When  they  stop 
presenting  their  cheeks  on  being  introduced.”  A 
stranger  can  sometimes  avoid  noticing  the  children, 
or  having  noticed  them,  make  some  genial  remark 
about  or  to  them  without  offering  to  shake  hands. 
But  he  is  likely  to  appear  somewhat  awkward  in  so 
doing.  One  goes  through  the  ordeal  with  as  good 
grace  as  possible,  thankful  that  they  do  not  obey 
the  Scriptural  injunction  and  “ offer  the  other 
cheek  also.”  However,  I must  say  I prefer  the 
Haitian  custom  of  kissing  on  the  cheek  to  that  fol- 
lowed by  many  Americans  of  kissing,  and  allowing 
children  to  be  kissed,  on  the  lips. 


126  CEUSADING  IN  THE  WEST  INDIES 


But  to  return  to  our  trip  across  the  mountains: 
We  arrived  at  Deslandes,  the  home  of  Mr.  Desir, 
just  before  nightfall.  Mr.  Desir’s  house  was  the 
best  in  the  hamlet,  neatly  whitewashed,  having  the 
yard  and  floors  of  the  rooms  of  the  house  paved 
with  cobblestones.  Upon  hearing  of  my  arrival 
so  many  people  came  from  the  neighboring  houses 
to  see  me  that  Mr.  Desir  asked  if  I would  not  ad- 
dress them.  My  French  was  lame,  I knew  very 
little  Patois,  and  tried  to  refuse.  Mr.  Desir  in- 
sisted that  they  had  understood  me  in  the  morn- 
ing. But  the  case  was  quite  different  now.  I then 
had  Mr.  Lherisson  to  fall  back  upon  for  words  and 
expressions  that  I lacked.  However,  they  were  so 
anxious  to  have  a service  that  I consented. 

Some  hymn-books  were  forthcoming  and  two  or 
three  of  those  present  were  able  to  sing.  After  the 
hymn  I read  a passage  of  Scripture  commenting  on 
it  as  best  I could.  Realizing  that  the  unlettered 
natives  did  not  understand  much  French,  I used 
such  words  of  the  dialect  as  I had  learned  on  previ- 
ous visits  to  the  Island  and  those  which  I had 
noticed  Mr.  Lherisson  using  in  his  conversation 
and  sermons.  They  seemed  to  understand  the  gist 
of  what  I was  trying  to  give  them,  and  after  the 
closing  prayer,  went  to  their  homes. 

Mr.  Desir  sat  up  with  me  until  late,  telling  of  his 
conversion,  and  how  the  missionary  work  was 
progressing.  While  we  were  talking  we  could 
hear,  in  the  mountains,  the  drum  beats  of  the 


HAITI 


127 


papalois^*  calling  the  people  to  their  midnight 
orgies.  I retired  at  last  realizing  that  this  was  the 
real  Haiti.  Haiti  is  not  represented  by  the  few  in 
the  cities  that  have  received  a European  education ; 
nor  by  the  officials  strutting  about  in  their  gold 
braid. — There  is  a Haitian  saying  that  in  heaven 
the  white  man  will  want  beer ; the  mulatto,  women ; 
but  that  the  negro  will  be  made  happy  with  plenty 
of  gold  braid.  The  true  Haiti  is  found  in  these 
mountains,  among  those  simple-minded,  honest,  in- 
dustrious folk.  They  are  as  industrious  as  they 
can  afford  to  be;  for,  what  is  the  use  of  working 
ha^d  to  raise  a large  crop,  only  to  have  it  stolen  by 
a military  officer  ? 

One  good  resulting  from  the  independence  of 
Haiti  was  the  division  of  the  land  into  small  hold- 
ings. Unfortunately,  however,  the  owners  of  those 
small  plots  became  practically  slaves  of  the  military 
chiefs,  much  as  they  had  been  of  their  French  mas- 
ters. True,  the  military  chief  cannot  sell  them ; but 
he  can  take  them  by  force  into  the  army,  and  de- 
mand the  best  of  their  crops  and  animals ; or,  take 
a daughter  from  her  parents,  in  case  he  desires  to 
make  her  his  mistress. 

Living  in  constant  fear  of  the  emissaries  of  the 
government,  and  terrorized  by  their  belief  in  the 
power  of  the  sorcerer’s  magic,  many  are  coming  to 
realize  that  true  liberty  is  to  be  found  only  in  the 
Gospel  of  Jesus  Christ.  Everywhere  they  will 
flock  by  the  hundreds  to  hear  the  preaching  of 


128  CEUSADING  IN  THE  WEST  INDIES 


the  Gospel.  It  has  been  my  privilege  to  journey 
from  Jacmel  on  the  south,  through  Port-au-Prince 
to  Cape  Haiti  on  the  north;  and  everywhere  I 
have  been,  crowds  have  come  to  listen  whenever 
preachipg  has  been  announced.  Our  colporters, 
also,  have  found  many  people  in  all  parts  of  the 
Republic  ready  to  buy  the  Book.  I had  hardly  ex- 
pected many  sales  of  books  in  the  country  places; 
yet  in  almost  every  community  there  is  someone,  at 
least,  who  can  read.  People  who  are  unable  to 
read,  buy  the  book  and  take  it  home,  saying  that 
they  will  get  a neighbor  to  read  it  to  them.  Others 
who  have  children  will  buy  so  that  when  the  chil- 
dren learn  to  read  they  can  read  the  Book  to  them. 

Perhaps  the  most  gratifying  thing  about  Bible 
campaigning  in  Haiti  was  the  stumbling  upon  little 
groups  of  Christians  scattered  throughout  the 
mountains,  among  whom  were  no  Bibles;  or,  if 
they  possessed  any,  these  were  worn  and  tattered 
by  constant  handling.  The  ability  to  supply  these 
isolated  Christians  with  the  Bible  which  they  had 
been  desiring  so  long  was  one  of  the  constant  joys 
of  the  work  in  these  picturesque  mountains. 

Awakened  by  Mr.  Desir  before  daylight,  I found 
that  hot  coffee  and  eggs  had  been  prepared  for  my 
breakfast.  A mule  was  ready,  and  also,  a boy  to 
accompany  me  to  the  town  of  Leogane  where  I 
was  to  take  the  train  for  Port-au-Prince. 

I shall  not  soon  forget  my  first  trip  to  Leogane, 
during  my  second  visit  to  Haiti.  Having  heard  of 


HAITI 


129 


the  work  in  Jacmel,  I had  decided  to  visit  that  town 
on  this  trip  and  was  accompanied  by  Mr.  Leon 
Hyson,  who  was  working  for  the  Society  at  this 
time.  We  hired  horses  in  Port-au-Prince  and 
started  for  Jacmel  taking  the  road  through  Leo- 
gane.  It  was  market  day  in  Port-au-Prince;  and 
large  numbers  of  women  were  encountered  on  the 
road,  going  to  trade  at  the  market.  We  had  taken 
with  us  five  hundred  Gospels  of  Luke,  twenty 
Testaments,  and  twelve  Bibles,  thinking  we  would 
have  an  abundance  for  the  trip  across  the  peninsula. 
We  began  offering  our  books  for  sale  shortly  after 
leaving  the  Capital.  The  eagerness  with  which 
they  were  bought  was  a surprise  to  me.  There 
were  so  many  opportunities  to  sell  and  so  many  of 
the  people  took  up  our  time  showing  the  books,  that 
instead  of  arriving  at  noon,  it  was  nightfall  when 
we  reached  Leogane.  On  counting  up,  we  found 
we  had  sold  all  of  our  Bibles  and  Testaments  and 
a little  more  than  one  hundred  Gospels.  We  sent 
a man  back  to  Port-au-Prince  for  more  books  and 
by  the  time  he  returned  we  had  sold  all  our  re- 
maining Gospels.  Mr.  Turnbull  sent  us  by  this 
man  another  five  hundred  Gospels,  one  hundred 
and  fifty  Testaments,  and  twenty  more  Bibles.  We 
remained  three  days  in  Leogane  and  sold  every 
book.  Having  no  books  left  for  the  journey  to 
Jacmel,  we  returned  to  Port-au-Prince. 

Travelling  in  Haiti  one  needs  to  be  careful  of  the 
source  of  his  drinking  water.  On  one  of  my  early 


130  CRUSADING  IN  THE  WEST  INDIES 


trips  out  from  Port-au-Prince  with  one  of  our 
workers,  we  passed  a small  stream  of  swiftly  run- 
ning water,  in  which  as  far  up  and  down  as  we 
could  see,  women  were  doing  the  laundry  of  the 
city.  The  colporter  stopped  and  drank  from  the 
stream.  Although  very  thirsty,  I waited  until  we 
had  passed  some  distance  further  on;  when,  seeing 
a house  which  bore  every  evidence  of  the  prosper- 
ity of  its  occupants,  I thought  it  would  probably 
be  safe  to  ask  for  a drink  and  did  so.  The  lady  of 
the  house  brought  one  of  those  porous,  long-necked 
jars  that  keep  the  water  so  cool  because  of  the 
evaporation.  The  water  looked  so  clear  and  tasted 
so  good  that  I asked  for  another  glass  and  after 
drinking  asked  where  she  got  such  excellent  water. 
She  pointed  back  to  the  stream  we  had  just  passed, 
and  from  which  I had  refused  to  drink,  saying: 
‘‘  From  the  river  back  there.”  That  settled  the 
matter  for  me.  I decided  to  drink  no  more  water 
in  Haiti  if  I could  help  it.  There  was  a splendid 
substitute  to  be  had  from  the  cocoanut  overhead. 
The  young  cocoanut  shell,  when  the  meat  has  just 
begun  to  form,  is  filled  with  a refreshing  liquid, 
slightly  sweet  and  agreeable  to  the  taste.  These 
cocoanuts  could  be  had  in  any  quantity  for  about 
one  cent  each  in  American  money.  For  this  price 
the  natives  would  climb  the  tree,  cut  down  the  nut, 
and  cutting  off  the  top  with  a machete,  make  a hole 
so  that  it  could  be  drunk  from  the  shell.  In  this 
and  subsequent  trips,  the  first  thing  I would  do  on 


HAITI 


131 


arriving  at  a new  town  would  be  to  purchase  some 
cocoanuts,  thereby  assuring  my  water  supply. 

The  Protestant  work  in  Leogane  is  being  con- 
ducted by  Mr.  Ledoux  Paraison,  a native  Episcopal 
pastor.  I found  the  congregation  struggling  along 
trying  to  build  their  own  church.  The  members 
were  making  contributions  of  material,  labor  and 
m.oney.  Little  by  little,  on  my  visits  to  the  place, 
I saw  the  church  go  up,  until  the  walls  were  ready 
for  the  putting  on  of  the  roof.  I understand  that 
money  has  since  been  contributed  from  America 
for  the  completion  of  the  building.  The  efforts 
they  were  putting  forth  to  help  themselves  surely 
justified  this  action  on  the  part  of  the  friends  in 
America. 

When  I first  visited  Leogane  there  were  many 
believers  who  did  not  have  Bibles,  though  they  had 
been  taught  to  read  through  the  efforts  of  Mr. 
Paraison  and  his  fellow  workers.  The  congrega- 
tion took  our  coming  as  a God-send.  For  years 
they  had  not  had  sufficient  Bibles.  Visiting  the 
Island  about  a year  after  this  first  trip  by  myself 
and  Mr.  Hyson,  I went  over  to  Leogane  again  to 
see  Mr.  Paraison.  When  I appeared  at  the  door  of 
the  house  his  mother  recognized  me  and  running, 
threw  her  arms  around  my  neck  and  kissed  me. 
This  enthusiastic  and  affectionate  reception  was 
greatly  appreciated  as  it  showed  that  I had  found 
my  way  into  the  hearts  of  the  people  of  Haiti  as 
representative  of  the  American  Bible  Society. 


132  CEUSADING  IN  THE  WEST  INDIES 


A Hindu  proverb  runs:  ''Chiragh  ke  niche  and- 
hera”  (“Under  the  candle  there  is  darkness.”) 
This  has  come  to  my  mind  over  and  over  again  in 
thinking  of  Haiti.  We  equip  and  send  out  mis- 
sionaries to  Africa,  India,  China,  and  completely 
overlook  this  little  piece  of  Africa  with  its  million 
and  a half  of  inhabitants  right  at  our  very  doors. 
Haiti  has  been  left  very  much  to  herself  to  work 
out  her  own  salvation  during  the  last  hundred  years 
of  missionary  effort.  The  little  contact  she  has  had 
with  white  people  has  not,  on  the  whole,  been  help- 
ful. 

The  trade  of  the  Island  has  been  largely  in  the 
hands  of  German  merchants.  In  these  stores  the 
native  clerks  are  taught  to  cheat  their  own  people. 
Not  only  were  the  poor  women  who  brought  in 
coffee  for  sale  cheated  in  weight,  but  the  cloth, 
sugar  and  flour  they  took  back  to  the  mountains 
were  short  in  measure  and  weight.  Is  it  any  won- 
der that  in  trying  to  get  even,  the  Haitians  mix 
pebbles  in  the  coffee  to  increase  the  weight  and  that 
it  must  all  be  picked  over  before  it  is  fit  for  the 
European  market  ? 

These  foreign  merchants  were  at  the  bottom  of 
many  of  the  revolutions.  During  a revolution  the 
government  needed  gold  in  order  to  purchase  war 
supplies  and  Haitian  currency  immediately  depre- 
ciated in  value.  When  the  uprising  was  success- 
fully suppressed,  the  merchants  would  sell  the 
native  currency  back  to  the  government  at  an  enor- 


HAITI 


133 


mous  profit.  If  the  revolt  should  become  a success- 
ful revolution,  the  merchants  who  had  lent  the 
money  to  help  start  it  would  have  a “ pull  ” with 
the  new  government,  which  amply  repaid  the  risk 
taken.  In  this  way,  whichever  party  gained  the 
ascendency,  the  merchant  was  the  winner.  It  was 
a “ heads-I-win-tails-you-lose  ” proposition.  The 
export  duty  on  coffee,  from  which  the  Haitian 
government  derived  the  greater  part  of  its  income, 
was  in  a great  measure  avoided  by  bribing  the 
officials.  There  were  exceptions,  but  many  of  the 
foreign  merchants  were  there  to  make  money  re- 
gardless of  any  law  of  either  God  or  man. 

Protestant  missionaries  first  came  to  Haiti  at  the 
request  of  an  enlightened  president.  The  govern- 
ment has  always  received  and  treated  the  foreign 
missionaries  well;  but  the  few  missions  that  have 
been  established  in  response  to  the  president’s  ap- 
peal have  always  been  short-handed.  We  have  not 
treated  Haiti  fairly.  In  all  my  travels,  I have  never 
visited  any  field  where  a little  money  would  do 
more  towards  the  extension  of  the  Kingdom.  We 
are  still  overlooking  a great  opportunity  and  shirk- 
ing a great  responsibility. 

Our  own  government  has  but  recently  come  to 
the  help  of  Haiti  politically.  The  landing  of  the 
United  States  marines  in  Port-au-Prince  put  a stop 
to  a perfect  orgy  of  murder  and  bloodshed.  The 
Church  ought  not  to  have  waited  till  now;  but 
surely  there  is  no  longer  any  excuse  for  not  enter- 


134  CEUSADING  IN  THE  WEST*  INDIES 


ing  this  door  so  wide  open  to  Christian  opportunity 
and  calling  so  loudly  to  our  sympathies.  Lying 
right  at  our  very  doors,  Haiti  has  a claim  upon  us 
that  few  other  nations  have.  Among  her  first 
needs  are  schools  and  medical  attention. 

Haiti  has  a local  Bible  and  Tract  Society  at 
Port-au-Prince  entirely  under  native  officers.  The 
president,  Monsieur  Jackson,  is  a local  preacher  of 
the  Wesleyan  Methodist  Church.  For  many  years 
this  Society  has  imported  from  France  Christian 
calendars,  hymn-books  and  Bibles.  They  have  not 
capital  to  carry  on  an  aggressive  work  but  they  al- 
ways have  on  hand  a small  stock  of  Bibles,  as  well 
as  helpful  Christian  literature  in  French.  In  spite 
of  its  lack  of  means  and  its  ability  to  send  out 
books  only  to  such  as  pay  cash,  this  Society  has 
been  a beacon  light  in  the  dark  night  through  which 
Haiti  has  been  passing. 

Rome  has  done  something  for  the  education  of 
such  as  were  able  to  pay,  establishing  a few  schools. 
Religiously  she  has  done  little  for  Haiti.  Instead 
of  lifting  him,  she  has  come  down  to  the  level  of 
the  negro.  One  Christmas  day  in  the  old  cathedral 
at  Port-au-Prince,  I listened  to  an  eloquent  sermon 
by  a French  priest  in  which  he  claimed  for  Roman- 
ism all  that  is  good  in  our  present  civilization.  On 
the  wall  at  my  right  was  a picture  of  the  Virgin, 
a buxom  negress,  holding  in  her  lap  an  infant 
Christ,  as  black  as  herself.  Rome  has  thus  adapted 
herself  to  the  negro.  On  the  other  hand,  the  witch 


HAITI 


136 


doctors  have  adopted  the  Cross  and  claim  that  their 
magic  will  have  no  effect  unless  they  regularly  at- 
tend high  mass. 

Memories  of  visits  to  the  hospitals  of  Haiti  re- 
main with  one  like  waking  nightmares.  No  matter 
how  sick  nor  with  what  disease,  the  natives  of 
Port-au-Prince  are  sent  to  the  hospital  to  be  fed 
on  red  beans  and  die.  I have  seen  patients  lying  on 
the  decaying  floor  in  the  municipal  hospital  in  that 
city  with  sheets  and  mattresses  the  color  of  the  dirty 
boards  of  the  floor.  All  over  the  patients  were 
running  a lot  of  half-grown,  half-starved  chickens. 
If  water  had  ever  been  brought  into  contact  with 
the  floor,  clothing,  or  the  bodies  of  the  patients, 
they  had  long  ago  lost  all  trace  of  it. 

During  one  of  these  visits,  after  such  words  of 
comfort  as  we  were  able  to  give,  we  said  to  one 
patient:  ‘‘Now  can  we  do  anything  for  you?’* 
“ Oh ! ” said  the  almost  dying  man  addressed,  “ If 
you  could  give  me  something  with  which  to  buy 
some  food,  I would  be  so  grateful.  We  get  noth- 
ing here  but  red  beans.  It  does  seem  as  though 
I could  not  endure  them  much  longer.”  The  care- 
taker informed  us  afterwards  that  the  state  of 
their  funds  enabled  them  to  purchase  nothing  but 
beans  and  that  the  doctors  had  ceased  coming  regu- 
larly, since  the  municipality  had  been  unable  to  pay 
their  bills.  There  are  no  doctors  for  the  country 
people  of  Haiti.  They  depend  entirely  upon  the 
herbs  and  charms  given  to  them  by  the  sorcerers. 


136  CEUSADING  IN  THE  WEST  INDIES 


At  Jacmel  I visited  a so-called  hospital,  a tumble- 
down  shack  just  outside  the  cemetery  where  a 
number  of  poor  victims  were  rotting  to  death,  suf- 
fering from  the  most  horrible  diseases.  They  were 
gathered  together  here  under  a caretaker  in  order 
that  they  might  be  brought  to  the  attention  of 
charitable  people  attending  funerals  or  visiting  the 
graves  of  the  dead  who  might  be  persuaded  to  give 
a few  pennies  to  help  to  further  a little  their  ex- 
istence. Hospitals  and  free  dispensaries  are  a most 
crying  need  of  Haiti  to-day. 

The  attitude  of  the  Haitian  government  has  al- 
ways been  more  or  less  favorable  to  Protestant 
missions.  It  helps  with  the  support  of  school  work 
and  gives  a pittance  towards  the  support  of  native 
pastors.  Though  there  is  a concordat  with  Rome, 
recognizing  Catholicism  as  the  State  Church  and 
the  salaries  of  the  French  priests  and  nuns  are 
paid  by  the  government,  the  Haitians  have  dreaded 
the  political  influence  of  Rome  and  encouraged 
Protestantism,  partly  as  a sort  of  an  offset  to  it. 
Whatever  the  reason,  the  fact  remains  that  the 
door  to  Protestant  missions  in  Haiti  has  always 
been  open,  though  the  American  Church  has  never 
seen  it.  There  have  been  and  still  are  small  groups 
of  Christians  throughout  the  Island  praying  God  to 
send  the  help  from  America  that  never  comes. 


IX 


SANTO  DOMINGO 

The  Dominican  Republic  is  the  official 
designation  of  the  eastern  two-thirds  of 
the  Island  of  Haiti  and  Santo  Domingo. 
Although  occupying  two-thirds  of  the  Island  the 
population  is  estimated  as  but  one-third  that  of  the 
neighboring  Republic.  The  official  language  of 
Haiti  is  French,  that  of  the  people  a French  Pa- 
tois. But  the  official  language  of  the  Dominican 
Republic,  as  well  as  that  of  the  people,  is  Spanish. 

Neither  the  Spaniards  nor  the  English  carried 
their  dialectical  differences  to  the  colonies.  These 
variations  are  such  in  the  home  lands  of  each  that 
they  amount  almost  to  different  languages.  The 
outsider  travelling  from  one  county  of  England  to 
another,  or  from  one  province  of  Spain  to  another, 
understands  with  difficulty  the  language  of  the 
common  people.  This  is  not  the  case,  however, 
either  with  English  or  Spanish  speaking  America. 
Throughout  the  New  World  the  language  is  quite 
uniform.  The  slight  local  differences  consist  in  the 
use  of  different  words  and  not  in  grammatical  con- 
struction. In  Spanish  America,  perhaps  the  most 
noticeable  local  differences  occur  in  the  use  of  dif- 

137 


138  CEUSADING  IN  THE  WEST  INDIES 


ferent  words  to  represent  the  same  thing,  the  names 
of  some  indigenous  products  retaining  the  local  In- 
dian names.  In  Porto  Rico  the  turkey  is  known 
by  its  Spanish  name  ''  pavo  ; in  Cuba  he  goes  by 
the  name  of  guanajo  in  Mexico,  ''  guajalote  ” ; 
and  in  Central  America,  chompipe,^^  The  sweet 
potato  is  ""  batata in  Porto  Rico ; boniato  ""  in 
Cuba,  and  camote  ” in  Mexico.  There  are  also 
slight  local  differences  in  pronunciation  due  to  the 
slurring  or  dropping  of  the  ‘‘  d ” and  ‘‘  s in  cer- 
tain words ; but  they  are  nothing  like  the  dialectical 
variations  of  the  home  land. 

The  capital  of  the  Dominican  Republic,  called 
Santo  Domingo,  is  the  oldest  European  settlement 
in  America,  having  been  founded  by  Bartholomew 
Colombus  in  1496,  four  years  after  the  discovery 
of  America  by  his  brother.  This  City  was  for 
many  years  the  starting  point  or  base  from  which 
the  early  Spanish  adventurers  left  on  their  voyages 
of  exploration,  discovery  and  conquest.  Santo 
Domingo  was  the  first  country  in  America  from 
which  gold  was  sent  to  Spain ; and  the  first  in  which 
the  aborigines  were  exterminated  by  European 
cruelty.  It  was  also  one  of  the  first,  if  not  the  first, 
into  which  negro  slavery  was  introduced,  at  the 
suggestion  of  the  devoted  priest,  Las  Casas,  in  an 
attempt  to  save  the  rapidly  perishing  Indians  from 
complete  annihilation. 

The  greater  discoveries  on  the  mainland  led  to 
the  neglecting  of  the  exploitation  of  this  island 


SANTO  DOMINGO 


139 


territory  which  has  remained  undeveloped.  There 
are  still  primeval  forests  containing  much  mahog- 
any and,  in  the  centre  of  the  Island,  a belt  of  long 
leaf  pine. 

Haiti  has  been  called  the  Black  Republic  because 
of  the  purely  negro  character  of  its  inhabitants. 
Many  of  the  natives  of  the  Dominican  Republic, 
however,  are  of  pure  Spanish  blood  and  pride 
themselves  in  being  descendants  of  the  early  Span- 
ish explorers. 

The  soil  of  this  republic  is  extremely  fertile  and 
the  climate  such  that  much  of  it  is  adapted  to 
settlement  by  the  white  man.  The  interior  is  high 
and  cool.  One  of  its  mountain  peaks  towers  ten 
thousand  feet  above  sea  level,  making  it  the  high- 
est elevation  in  the  West  Indies. 

I first  visited  the  Island  in  1910,  arriving  just 
after  It  had  been  swept  by  a West  Indian  hurricane. 
We  landed  at  Puerto  Plata,  the  northern  port  of 
call  for  the  Clyde  Line  boats.  I had  intended  visit- 
ing the  interior  and  going  by  land  to  the  Capital, 
thus  crossing  the  Island  from  north  to  south.  I 
found,  however,  that  the  recent  rains  had  put  the 
railroad  out  of  commission  and  rendered  the  trails 
of  the  interior  almost  impassable.  Hence  I re- 
mained but  a few  days,  completing  the  journey  to 
the  Capital  by  water. 

Like  many  other  ports  of  the  West  Indies, 
Puerto  Plata  has  no  wharves.  The  sea  being  very 
rough  we  came  to  anchor  farther  out  than  usual 


140  CRUSADING  IN  THE  WEST  INDIES 


and  the  passengers  were  taken  ashore  in  small  boats 
that  came  out  from  the  port  for  the  purpose.  We 
had  much  difficulty  in  making  the  transfer  from 
the  ocean-going  vessel  to  the  small  boat,  because  of 
the  rolling  of  the  ship  and  the  roughness  of  the 
water.  It  required  all  the  skill  and  strength  of  the 
boatmen  to  approach  the  rolling  ship  and,  at  the 
same  time,  keep  the  edge  of  the  boat  from  being 
caught  under  the  gangway.  This  operation  is  not 
without  danger  to  both  passengers  and  baggage. 
Once  when  we  were  leaving  the  port  of  Aux  Cayes, 
Haiti,  the  gangway  caught  the  gunwale  of  the  boat 
of  a man  who  had  come  out  to  sell  oranges,  break- 
ing and  upsetting  the  boat  and  scattering  the  fruit. 
Fortunately  the  man  caught  the  gangway  and  was 
carried  an  involuntary  passenger  to  the  next  port, 
there  being  no  other  boat  near  to  take  him  ashore. 
The  baggage  was  first  disposed  of,  being  piled  in 
the  centre  of  the  rowboats.  Then  as  the  rolling 
of  the  swell  brought  the  ship^s  gangway  and  the 
boat  near  enough  together,  the  passengers  would 
jump  from  one  to  the  other  before  the  boat  sepa- 
rated from  the  ship.  This  operation  was  repeated 
until  all  had  been  transferred.  The  trip  to  shore 
was  very  uncomfortable.  Nearly  all  were  sick  and 
the  women  both  frightened  and  sick.  One  seasick 
mulatto  woman  clung  to  me  all  the  way,  asking  me 
to  save  her,  if  the  boat  upset. 

In  Puerto  Plata  I met  the  Rev.  Mr.  Mears  and 
wife,  representative  of  the  Wesleyan  Methodist 


SANTO  DOMINGO 


141 


Church  of  England.  Mrs.  Hears  is  a trained  nurse 
and  has  been  called  upon  repeatedly  to  lend  her 
services  to  the  wounded  in  time  of  revolution. 

Learning  that,  owing  to  the  heavy  rains,  the  rail- 
road was  not  in  operation,  and  that  it  would  be  in- 
advisable to  attempt  the  trip  overland  on  horse- 
back, I wired  Rev.  W.  W.  Williams  that  I was  in 
Puerto  Plata  and  would  be  leaving  by  the  next 
boat.  Mr.  Williams,  who  was  working  as  colporter 
in  the  interior  town  of  Santiago  de  los  Caballeros, 
set  out  immediately  on  foot  and  reached  Puerto 
Plata  in  time  for  us  to  be  able  to  discuss  the  situa- 
tion quite  thoroughly  before  my  boat  left  for  the 
other  side  of  the  Island. 

The  more  one  associates  with  Latin  Americans, 
from  whatever  country,  the  more  one  deprecates 
the  too  common  American  supercilious  attitude  of 
superiority  towards  those  of  other  countries.  The 
spirit  that  invites  and  uses  depreciatives  as 
“Chink,’’  for  Chinaman;  “Dago,”  for  Italian; 
“ Froggie  ” for  Frenchman;  “ Nigger  ” for  a per- 
son of  African  blood;  “Greaser”  for  Mexican, 
and  “ Spigity  ” for  other  Spanish  Americans,  is 
bound,  not  only  to  interfere  with  our  usefulness 
and  good-fellowship,  but  to  create  for  us  an  un- 
enviable isolation  on  account  of  the  hard  feeling 
engendered.  The  attitude  is  as  unreasonable  as  it 
is  unkind  and  unchristian. 

Some  of  their  customs  may  seem  strange  to  us. 
West  Indians  will  carry  an  umbrella  at  night  to 


142  CRUSADING  IN  THE  WEST  INDIES 


protect  them  from  the  dew  and  the  rays  of  the 
moon.  They  will  almost  hermetically  close  every 
chink  and  cranny  of  their  sleeping  apartment  to 
keep  out  the  dreaded  night  air.  Foolish  as  it  now 
seems,  these  fears  had  a reasonable  origin. 
Malaria  and  yellow  fever  were  deadly,  fearful,  and 
unseen  enemies  that  struck  at  night.  It  is  but  re- 
cently that  science  has  discovered  that  the  carrier 
of  these  diseases  is  the  mosquito  which  also  gets  in 
its  work  only  at  night.  Shutting  out  the  moon- 
light, the  dew  and  the  air  would  also  shut  out  the 
mosquito  and  ward  off  the  dreaded  fever,  although 
it  would  induce  the  slower  tuberculosis. 

On  the  other  hand  we  must  acknowledge  some  of 
their  customs  as  superior  to  our  own.  At  Christ- 
mas tide  the  children  of  our  Spanish-speaking  West 
Indian  neighbors  do  not  hang  up  their  stockings  to 
be  filled  by  a grotesque,  jolly-bellied  Christmas 
elf.  No  such  unmeaning  heathenish  myth  has  been 
taught  them.  They  celebrate  the  coming  of  the 
Wise  Men,  January  the  sixth.  This  is  called  the 
“ Day  of  the  Kings.”  On  the  eve  of  this  day,  the 
children  pull  grass  which  they  put  outside  of  their 
doors  at  night  in  a shoe-box,  basket,  or  other  re- 
ceptacle. This  is  food  for  the  camels  of  the  Wise 
Men  who  come  in  the  night,  take  up  the  fodder  that 
has  been  gathered  for  their  faithful  beasts,  and 
pass  on;  leaving  a reward  for  the  thoughtful  chil- 
dren. This  custom  surely  has  the  merit  of  being 
picturesque,  having  a basis  in  historic  fact  and 


SANTO  DOMINGO 


143 


carrying  the  deeper  significance  that  the  gifts  in- 
tended for  the  Christ  reach  their  destination  in  the 
hands  of  these  little  ones.” 

The  Dominicans  are  very  courteous,  gentlemanly 
and,  perhaps,  easier  of  approach  from  an  evangel- 
ical point  of  view  than  the  other  Spanish-speaking 
people  of  the  West  Indies.  There  is  not  the  athe- 
ism among  them  that  one  finds  in  Cuba.  Colpor- 
ters  report  that  the  Dominicans  never  scoff  at  the 
virgin  birth,  and  the  other  miracles  recorded  in  the 
New  Testament,  as  the  Cubans  are  frequently  dis- 
posed to  do.  On  my  last  trip  through  the  West 
Indies  I did  not  go  ashore  at  Santo  Domingo 
though  our  boat  made  the  call.  A couple  of  col- 
porters  were  working  in  the  Capital  at  the  time  and 
I wished  to  get  in  touch  with  them.  For  this  pur- 
pose I made  myself  known  to  the  pilot,  port  doctor, 
and  customs  officials,  while  they  were  waiting  for 
the  rowboat  to  take  them  ashore  after  their  visit  of 
inspection.  Each  of  these  men  had  seen  our  work- 
ers, who  were  making  a house-to-house  canvass  of 
the  City;  but  had  paid  no  attention  to  the  kind  of 
books  they  were  selling.  When  I explained  to 
them  they  became  much  interested.  All  three  pur- 
chased from  me  a Spanish  Bible  of  good  quality 
and  I was  pleased  to  note  that  they  spent  the  re- 
mainder of  the  time,  waiting  for  their  boat,  in  read- 
ing and  examining  the  Bibles  they  had  purchased. 

The  inhabitants  of  the  Dominican  Republic  have 
always  received  Bible  workers  in  a very  kindly 


144  CRUSADING  IN  THE  WEST  INDIES 


manner.  After  a house-to-house  canvass  of  the 
coast  towns  in  1909,  Mr.  Williams  reported  finding 
Bibles  in  less  than  five  per  cent,  of  the  houses.  He 
sold  on  this  visit  two  thousand  and  four  hundred 
books,  and  was  most  courteously  treated  by  the  au- 
thorities and  people.  In  1910,  Mr.  Cole  spent  two 
weeks  in  the  Capital  when  on  his  way  from  Cuba 
to  Porto  Rico,  selling  two  hundred  books  during 
the  first  seven  days.  In  1911,  we  were  able  to 
send  Mr.  Cole  again,  in  company  with  tsvo  Porto 
Rican  colporters,  to  the  Dominican  Republic.  They 
visited  all  of  the  coast  towns,  as  well  as  some  of  the 
towns  in  the  interior,  selling  over  five  thousand 
copies.  Nearly  all  who  could  read  purchased  a 
book.  !Mr.  Williams,  revisiting  the  Republic  in 
1913,  reported  finding  Bibles  in  over  ninet}"  per 
cent,  of  the  houses  in  the  towns  on  the  coast 
The  development  of  both  Haiti  and  the  Domini- 
can Republic  must  be  y^ry  rapid  in  the  immediate 
future  because  of  the  world  need  of  the  commodi- 
ties which  their  soil  can  be  made  to  produce  in  such 
abundance.  Mr.  Cole  thought  the  people  of  Santo 
Domingo  more  like  Americans  than  any  other 
Latin  people  he  had  met.  The  American  Govern- 
ment is  already  there  tiydng  to  help  the  country 
financially.  The  American  Church  has  recently 
undertaken  an  enterprise  in  the  \Wst  Indies 
that  may  mark  an  epoch  in  the  annals  of  foreign 
missions.  Several  denominations  having  mission 
work  in  the  neighboring  island  of  Porto  Rico  have 


SANTO  DOMINGO 


145 


decided  on  the  joint  occupation  of  Santo  Domingo. 
This  union  of  forces  will  enable  the  religious  bodies 
cooperating  to  undertake  the  work  on  a scale  im- 
possible to  any  one  of  them  working  singly.  Evan- 
gelistic, educational,  and  medical  work  can  be  car- 
ried on  in  a manner  adequate  to  the  need  and 
present  opportunity.  Rev.  P.  W.  Drury,  for  many 
years  a missionary  in  Porto  Rico,  has  been  chosen 
to  lead  the  enterprise.  This  united  effort  has  been 
made  possible  by  the  churches  concerned  getting  to- 
gether under  the  auspices  of  the  Committee  on  Co- 
operation in  Latin  America  and  organizing  the 
Board  of  Christian  Work  in  Santo  Domingo. 
This  Republic  is  indeed  fortunate  in  having  been 
selected  as  the  field  for  such  a significant  forward 
step. 


X 


PORTO  RICO 

IN  June,  1910,  the  Foreign  Agencies  Commit- 
tee of  the  American  Bible  Society  requested 
me  to  visit  Porto  Rico,  study  the  field,  and 
report  on  the  advisability  of  directing  the  work  of 
Bible  distribution  in  all  the  islands  of  the  West 
Indies  as  one  agency.  I was  also  to  make  sugges- 
tions as  to  the  point  most  suitable  for  headquarters 
of  such  an  agency. 

Leaving  New  York  on  the  steamship  Caracas,  of 
the  Red  D ” Line,  I was  fortunate  in  having  as 
fellow  passenger  the  Rev.  J.  A.  McAllister,  of  the 
Presbyterian  Mission  in  Mayaguez,  Porto  Rico. 
We  had  a pleasant  voyage,  and  I learned  much 
from  Mr.  McAllister  regarding  conditions  in  the 
Island. 

The  days  passed  in  Porto  Rico  were  very  busy 
ones.  I visited  the  three  cities,  San  Juan,  Maya- 
guez and  Ponce,  besides  some  smaller  places.  The 
time  was  spent  in  calling  on  the  missionaries,  visit- 
ing the  churches,  talking  with  business  men,  com- 
mercial travellers,  and  others,  getting  all  the  infor- 
mation possible  that  would  be  likely  to  help  in 
forming  an  opinion  regarding  the  best  way  to  con- 

146 


POBTO  EICO 


147 


duct  the  work  of  Bible  distribution  throughout  the 
West  Indies. 

I soon  found,  strange  as  it  may  seem  from  a 
glance  at  our  maps,  that  New  York  was  the  only 
point  from  which  the  work  in  the  whole  of  the  West 
Indies  could  be  conducted  efficiently  and  economic- 
ally. The  little  inter-island  communication  was  ir- 
regular and  unsatisfactory.  There  was,  however, 
regular  communication  between  all  of  the  islands 
and  New  York  City.  People  travelling  from  one 
island  to  another  were,  as  frequently  as  not,  obliged 
to  make  the  trip  by  way  of  New  York.  I discov- 
ered, as  I told  my  friends,  that  Manhattan  and 
Long  Island  were  the  most  central  of  the  West 
India  Islands. 

It  was  very  encouraging  to  see  the  progress  that 
missions  had  made  in  Porto  Rico.  In  the  city  of 
Ponce  I visited,  one  Sunday  morning,  the  Sunday 
schools  of  the  Methodist,  Baptist,  United  Brethren, 
and  Christian  Churches  and  saw  six  hundred  schol- 
ars taking  as  much  interest  in  the  lesson  and  in  the 
affairs  of  the  Sunday  school  as  children  in  the 
home  land  would  do.  This  large  attendance  was  a 
revelation  of  the  hold  the  mission  workers  had 
secured  upon  the  hearts  of  the  people  of  Porto 
Rico. 

In  Ponce,  I was  the  guest  of  Rev.  and  Mrs.  D.  P. 
Barrett,  missionaries  of  the  American  Christian 
Convention.  Wishing  to  see  for  myself  the  way 
in  which  the  people  received  the  Bible,  I went  out 


148  CEUSADING  IN  THE  WEST  INDIES 


with  the  colporter,  who  was  working  there,  and 
spent  a short  time  with  him  in  his  house-to-house 
work  in  the  city.  After  this,  Mr.  Barrett  kindly 
lending  his  horse  and  buggy  for  the  purpose,  we 
spent  some  time  in  the  suburbs  and  surrounding 
country. 

We  found  the  people  so  favorably  disposed  and 
so  easily  persuaded  to  buy  the  Bible  that  I con- 
ceived the  idea  of  making  a house-to-house  canvass 
of  the  whole  Island  in  the  shortest  time  possible, 
thereby  giving  everybody  who  could  read  an 
opportunity  to  secure  the  Book  of  Books. 
Hence,  I wrote  Dr.  John  Fox  suggesting  that, 
although  New  York  City  was  the  logical  centre 
from  which  to  direct  the  work  in  the  West 
Indies,  I be  allowed  to  make  my  headquarters 
in  San  Juan,  Porto  Rico,  until  the  Island  had  been 
thoroughly  covered  by  our  colporters,  in  order  that 
I might  personally  supervise  the  work.  This  sug- 
gestion was  favorably  received  by  the  Board  of 
Managers.  After  a trip  to  Cuba,  calling  en  route 
at  Jacmel  and  Port-au-Prince,  Haiti,  I returned  to 
New  York  to  meet  my  family.  They  had  been 
spending  the  summer  with  Mrs.  Jordan’s  parents, 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  T.  D.  Merrill,  of  Martinville,  Que- 
bec. We  reached  Porto  Rico  on  the  first  of  Oc- 
tober, 1910. 

Porto  Rico  (the  Rich  Port)  should  have  been 
named  Porto  Pobre  (the  Poverty  Stricken  Port), 
was  the  impression  the  Island  first  produced  upon 


POETO  EICO 


149 


me.  I had  seen  it  after  having  visited  the  larger 
and  much  richer  islands  of  Cuba  and  Santo  Do- 
mingo. In  these  islands  I had  seen  fields  of  sugar- 
cane, with  stalks  ten  or  twelve  feet  long,  that  kept 
on  producing  year  after  year  without  any  fertilizer 
whatever,  and  without  replowing  oftener  than  once 
in  ten  or  more  years.  Beside  these  fields  the  cane 
in  Porto  Rico  had  a dwarfed  appearance.  More- 
over, the  planters  told  me  that  they  were  obliged 
to  replow  the  land  every  three  years;  and  that 
fertilizer  must  be  used  in  order  to  secure  a paying 
crop.  The  people  of  the  laboring  class  were  bare- 
footed and  anaemic  looking.  They  lived  in  houses 
that  were  shacks  compared  with  the  substantially 
built  huts  of  Cuba  and  Haiti. 

I have  already  described  the  Cuban  country  vil- 
lage house  with  its  earth  floor.  The  Haitian,  also, 
builds  on  the  ground.  That  is,  the  floor  of  the  hut 
is  either  of  solidly  packed  earth  or  cobblestone. 
The  walls  of  the  hut  in  Haiti  are  composed  of  a 
kind  of  matting  or  basket-work,  neatly  and  closely 
woven.  This  basket-work  is  plastered  over  with 
mud  and  then  whitewashed.  The  house  is  roofed 
with  the  thick  thatch  of  grass  and  presents  quite  a 
neat  and  substantial  appearance.  These  houses  are 
also  very  comfortable  during  the  middle  of  the 
day  when  the  thick  thatch  keeps  out  the  heat  of  the 
perpendicular  rays  of  the  sun. 

The  ramshackle,  tumble-down,  dilapidated,  dry- 
goods-box  dwellings  of  the  poorer  people  in  Porto 


150  CRUSADING  IN  THE  WEST  INDIES 


Rico  looked  more  as  if  they  had  been  put  up  for 
temporary  chicken  coops  than  for  the  use  of  human 
beings.  The  material  of  which  the  house  is  made 
may  consist  of  broken  soap  boxes,  canned  goods 
boxes,  palm  leaves,  grass,  reeds,  pieces  of  tins  in 
which  the  oil  companies  ship  their  product  to  the 
Island ; or  all  of  these  may  combine  in  sheltering  the 
occupants  from  view  of  the  passer-by,  each  material 
covering  a portion  of  the  shelter,  which  is  worthy 
neither  of  the  name  of  house  nor  hut.  Instead  of 
the  gratefully  cool  thatch,  the  roof  consists  of  cor- 
rugated iron  or  some  other  material  that  transmits 
the  heat  of  the  sun  directly  to  the  interior.  A no- 
table difference  in  the  construction  of  the  houses  of 
Cuba  and  Haiti  and  the  shacks  of  Porto  Rico  is 
that  while  the  former  are  built  solidly  on  the 
ground,  the  floor  of  the  Porto  Rican  dwelling  is 
of  poles  or  boards  and  raised  two  or  three  feet 
above  the  ground,  frequently  suspended  from  the 
posts  on  which  the  roof  is  supported. 

The  furnishings  of  these  homes  of  our  poorer 
fellow-citizens  in  Porto  Rico  is  of  the  most  meagre 
description.  There  are  seldom  beds.  Some  pos- 
sess a hammock  or  two,  but  the  most  of  the  occu- 
pants sleep  on  the  floor.  Sometimes,  two  or  even 
three  persons  will  sleep  in  one  small  hammock. 
Frequently  there  is  neither  table  nor  chair,  a soap 
box  or  rude  bench  supplying  the  place  of  both. 
Their  food  is  of  the  simplest.  As  in  the  Domini- 
can Republic  and  Cuba,  plantains  supply  the  prin- 


PORTO  RICAN  HOME  IN  SUBURBS  OF  PONCE. 
PORTO  RICAN  HOMES  IN  CAYEY,  P.  R. 


POETO  EICO 


151 


cipal  part  of  the  starch  in  the  diet.  Black  coffee  is 
taken  to  remove  the  feeling  of  fatigue;  and  tobacco 
stills  the  pangs  of  hunger. 

Neither  the  Spanish  Government  nor  the  Roman 
Hierarchy  had  done  anything  for  the  uplift  of  the 
laboring  classes  in  Porto  Rico.  The  anaemic  con- 
dition of  the  people  was  due,  not  only  to  malnutri- 
tion, but  to  the  hook-worm,  which  flourished  and 
was  propagated  by  unsanitary  conditions.  Pre- 
vious to  the  coming  of  the  Americans,  the  Porto 
Rican  laboring  class  had  received  no  instruction 
whatever  in  sanitation.  Homes  in  the  country,  vil- 
lages and  small  towns  were  without  toilets  or  cess- 
pools. 

Fortunately  the  Porto  Rican  is  an  apt  pupil,  and 
conditions  began  to  improve  much  more  rapidly 
than  was  to  be  expected,  when  so  many  of  the  re- 
forms ran  counter  to  long-established  prejudices. 
I always  found  the  common  people  kindly  dis- 
posed towards  Uncle  Sam  and  grateful  for  what 
he  had  done  for  them. 

On  my  first  visit  to  Ponce  I overheard  some 
laboring  men  on  the  railway  platform  discussing  a 
case  in  court  where  a laborer  had  received  justice 
in  a suit  against  a rich  man,  who  had  tried  to  de- 
fraud him.  “ That  is  the  United  States,’’  said  one 
of  them  with  some  pride.  “ In  Spanish  times  the 
poor  man  had  no  chance.”  The  group  were  unani- 
mous in  this  opinion.  Some  of  them  recited  cases 
in  which  the  Spanish  courts  had  decided  unjustly 


162  CEUSADING  m THE  WEST  ITOIES 


in  favor  of  the  wealthy  and  influential  as  against 
the  poor  man. 

Waiting  beside  the  road  with  the  auto  while 
a colporter  went  to  call  at  a distant  house,  I ac- 
costed a man  that  was  passing  in  company  with 
a little  boy.  The  man  could  not  read,  but  he  pur- 
chased a book  for  the  boy.  I asked  which  he  pre- 
ferred, the  United  States  government  or  that  of 
Spain.  ‘‘  There  is  no  comparison,”  he  replied.  ''  I 
never  learned  to  read;  and  if  we  had  remained  un- 
der Spain  my  children  would  never  have  had  an 
opportunity  to  learn;  but  now,  they  can  all  read, 
and  the  oldest  is  ready  for  high  school.” 

During  our  house-to-house  canvass  of  Porto 
Rico  at  a country  gathering,  an  old  man  of  the 
waiting  group  began  to  talk  of  the  changes  in  the 
village  since  the  American  occupation.  When  he 
began  to  speak  of  the  unhygienic  conditions  before 
the  municipality  had  enforced  the  building  of 
privies,  a young  lady,  shaking  him  by  the  arm,  said, 
‘‘For  God’s  sake.  Father,  keep  still;  haven’t  you 
any  shame  ? Those  days  have  passed ; let  us  forget 
them.”  “ I was  just  trying  to  show  you  some  of 
the  things  that  we  owe  to  the  Americans,”  he  re- 
plied. 

America  has  brought  justice  to  the  poor  man  and 
opened  the  door  of  opportunity  to  all.  Science  is 
eradicating  the  hook-worm,  creating  a public  opin- 
ion in  favor  of  clean  living,  and  making  the  Island 
healthy.  There  still  remains,  however,  the  prob- 


POETO  BICO 


153 


lem  of  bettering  the  economic  condition  and  of  cre- 
ating in  the  heart  of  the  laborer  a self-respect, 
that  shall  demand  a better  housing  for  himself  than 
is  a shack  that  would  make  an  American  farmer 
blush  to  own  as  a pig-pen. 

Again,  I should  like  to  have  Mrs.  Jordan  write 
about  her  memories  of  the  housekeeping  problems 
of  Porto  Rico.  However,  as  the  Bible  deposi- 
tory was  in  our  home  in  San  Juan  I became  some- 
what more  familiar  with  them  than  I might  other- 
wise have  done.  We  found  living  less  expensive 
and  rents  cheaper  in  San  Juan  than  in  Havana. 
American  foodstuffs  were  obtainable  at  slightly 
more  than  the  prices  of  the  same  articles  in  the 
States.  There  was  such  a large  American  colony 
that  the  sense  of  isolation  was  not  so  great.  Schools 
were  good;  and  in  other  ways,  conditions  were 
more  like  those  at  home.  We  secured  a house  in 
Santurce,  a suburb  of  San  Juan,  in  a neighborhood 
called  the  Condado,”  where  we  lived  for  nearly 
three  years.  Low  and  swampy,  formerly,  the  sec- 
tion has  been  filled  in  and  is  becoming  a very  desir- 
able residential  quarter.  It  receives  the  ocean 
breezes,  and  is  always  pleasantly  cool.  Our  rela- 
tions with  our  landlord,  Mr.  Louis  Purcell,  were 
of  the  most  pleasant  nature. 

For  a time  the  servant  problem  was  what  made 
life  interesting.  Here  we  had  our  first  experience 
with  the  English-speaking  West  Indian  negro. 
When  I asked  an  old  negress  who  came  to  sell  fruit 


154  CKUSADIXG  IN  THE  WEST  INDIES 


if  she  was  a Porto  Rican,  she  threw  her  head  back 
and  proudly  answered,  “ I am  an  Englishwoman.” 
I never  should  have  suspected  it  from  her  color. 
It  appeared  that  she  was  born  in  one  of  the  neigh- 
boring English  islands  and  was  a British  subject; 
therefore,  “an  Englishwoman,” — not  bad  logic! 
This  woman  was  anxious  to  find  a position  for  an- 
other English  African,  just  over  from  the  Island 
of  St.  Kitts.  Since  we  needed  a ser^^ant  at  once 
we  took  her  on  trial.  One  day  was  sufficient. 
The  girl  was  from  twelve,  noon,  to  four,  p.  m., 
washing  the  lunch  dishes  for  three  persons.  I 
think  she  was  the  most  deliberate  piece  of  human- 
ity we  had  ever  seen. 

The  next  applicant  was  a tall,  large-boned 
woman  from  St.  Thomas.  She  began  by  telling 
how  active  she  was,  scratching  her  head  at  the 
same  time.  It  seemed  she  had  learned  that  the 
other  girl  was  too  slow ; for  she  laid  stress  on  her 
own  activity.  “ IMa’am,”  she  said,  “ Ps  jest 
obliged  to  be  a-movin’  all  the  time.  I can’t  keep 
still  a minute,  Ma’am.”  We  did  not  doubt  her 
statement,  for  there  were  few,  if  any,  parts  of  her 
outside  anatomy  to  which  she  did  not  pay  particu- 
lar attention  with  her  industrious  finger-nails  while 
talking.  Then  came  a tall,  well- formed  moder- 
ately spoken  woman  from  St.  Croix.  She  was 
employed  and  did  better  than  we  expected,  making 
efforts  to  learn  and  becoming  quite  attached  to 
Mrs.  Jordan  and  the  baby. 


PORTO  RICO 


166 


One  of  the  pests  of  the  American  tropics  is  the 
jigger  flea,  or  *'nigua”  as  it  is  called  in  Spanish. 
The  insect  burrows  into  the  skin  under  a toe-nail, 
or  in  a crease  in  the  foot,  and  begins  to  lay  its  eggs 
in  an  expanding  sack,  which  develops  to  the  size  of 
a pea,  soon  becoming  uncomfortable  and  painful. 
When  discovered  they  should,  of  course,  be  re- 
moved at  once.  Some  persons  become  quite  ex- 
pert in  removing  them  without  breaking  the  sack 
or  drawing  any  blood  in  the  operation,  thereby 
avoiding  the  danger  of  infection.  During  my 
first  absence  from  the  Island  Mrs.  Jordan  discov- 
ered a ” nigua”  under  one  of  her  toe-nails;  and, 
never  having  seen  or  heard  of  them  before,  called 
the  attention  of  Jane  to  it.  The  servant  became 
all  concerned  at  once;  told  her  how  to  remove  it; 
and  at  the  same  time  warned  her  seriously,  telling 
her  that  she  must  not  bathe  for  a week,  or  she 
would  surely  die.  The  next  morning,  Mrs.  Jordan, 
paying  no  heed  to  the  warning  of  the  day  before, 
started  for  the  bath. 

“ You  surely  aren’t  going  to  bathe,”  said  the 
frightened  servant. 

“ I surely  am,”  replied  Mrs.  Jordan. 

“ Then  tell  me  what  doctor  you  wish  me  to  call,” 
promptly  said  the  servant,  “ because  you  will  need 
one. 

The  joke  was  on  Mrs.  Jordan  this  time;  for  the 
toe  did  become  infected  and  she  was  obliged  not 
only  to  call  a doctor,  but  to  sit  for  a week  with  her 


156  CRUSADmO  IN  THE  WEST  INDIES 


foot  in  a chair,  an  object  lesson  in  the  servant’s 
mind  of  the  fearful  danger  incurred  by  bathing 
within  a week  after  the  removal  of  a jigger  from 
the  foot.  Incidentally,  I will  add  that  we  never 
had  any  more  trouble  from  this  source;  as,  learn- 
ing the  danger  of  infection,  the  spot  from  which 
the  nigua  ” was  extracted  was  always  touched 
with  iodine  or  some  other  disinfectant.  Jane  did 
not  remain  long.  After  we  had  tried  several  other 
applicants  Gumersinda  came  to  us. 

Gumersinda  was  a native  Porto  Rican,  very 
dark,  and  with  Indian  rather  than  negro  features — 
thin  lips,  aquiline  nose,  and  straight,  black  hair. 
From  the  first  we  could  see  that  she  was  doing  her 
best.  She  was  slow  to  learn,  but  did  make  prog- 
ress. She  learned  to  cook  many  things  as  we  liked 
them  and  to  make  bread;  but  never  seemed  to  be 
able  to  learn  how  to  make  a cake.  She  was  always 
good  natured,  never  getting  out  of  patience  with 
the  children.  We  had  the  feeling  that  Gumersinda 
could  be  depended  upon  to  do  what  she  thought 
was  right ; and  we  were  never  disappointed.  With 
her  mother  and  two  sisters  she  used  to  attend  the 
little  mission  hall,  a few  blocks  away;  but  never 
made  any  profession  of  religion.  After  Mrs.  Jor- 
dan’s return  from  a visit  to  Canada,  Gumersinda 
sent  word  that  she  could  not  come  back.  It  was 
reported  that  she  was  married  and  we  lost  sight  of 
her.  Months  after,  I received  a telephone  message 
from  Miss  Jennie  Ordway,  superintendent  of  the 


POETO  RICO 


167 


Presbyterian  Mission  Hospital,  saying  that  they 
had  a woman  patient  that  could  not  live  but  who 
wished  to  be  baptized.  Rev.  E.  A.  Odell,  the 
Presbyterian  missionary  in  San  Juan,  was  away; 
would  I come  and  baptize  the  woman.  Knowing 
the  form  of  baptism  has  been  much  abused  by  the 
Roman  priests  and  that  it  has  come  to  be  looked 
upon  as  a saving  ordinance  by  the  people,  I had 
my  doubts  as  to  whether  I could  baptize  her  or  not ; 
but  told  Miss  Ordway  that  I would  see  the  woman 
and  have  a talk  with  her.  The  sick  woman  gave 
such  a clear  testimony  as  to  her  belief  in  Christ  and 
her  dependence  upon  Him  alone  for  her  salvation, 
as  well  as  to  her  desire  to  confess  Him  in  baptism, 
that  I was  convinced  her  wish  should  be  complied 
with.  Miss  Ordway  brought  water  and  I asked 
the  woman  her  name  before  administering  the  or- 
dinance. 

“ Gumersinda  Alvarez,*’  was  the  response. 

So  changed  was  she  by  the  ravages  of  disease 
that  I had  not  recognized  her. 

Gumersinda  lingered  for  some  weeks  after  her 
baptism.  Realizing  that  there  was  no  hope  of 
recovery  she  asked  to  be  sent  to  her  mother’s 
house.  I visited  her  there  several  times.  She  was 
very  happy  and  kept  her  little  Spanish  Bible  at  the 
head  of  her  bed.  Some  friends  used  to  come  in 
and  read  it  to  her  and  to  the  relatives  in  the  house, 
who  listened  with  interest.  It  was  indeed  a 
source  of  great  satisfaction  to  us,  as  it  must  be 


158  CRUSADING  IN  THE  WEST  INDIES 


to  other  Americans  in  whose  homes  Gumer- 
sinda  had  worked,  to  learn  that  she  had  found 
Christ. 

How  to  keep  a washerwoman  was  one  of  the 
problems  of  housekeeping  in  Porto  Rico.  At  first 
we  found  that  no  matter  how  satisfactory  an  ar- 
rangement might  be  made  with  one,  she  could 
never  be  depended  upon  to  return  on  Monday  to 
begin  the  week’s  wash.  Sometimes  the  whole  week 
would  go  by  and  the  woman  would  not  come.  Al- 
ways having  some,  to  her  mind,  perfectly  good  ex- 
cuse. After  a while  I\Irs.  Jordan  hit  upon  the 
happy  expedient  of  keeping  back  on  Saturday  a 
part  of  the  pay  for  the  week’s  wash  till  the  next 
^londay  morning.  The  balance  due  to  be  paid 
when  the  woman  returned  according  to  promise. 
This  worked  like  a charm.  Even  in  case  the 
woman  borrowed  money — as  nearly,  all  Porto 
Rican  servants  do,  from  time  to  time — the  last 
fifty  cents  due  on  the  week’s  wash  was  retained 
until  Monday,  and  it  was  always  called  for  and  the 
wash  begun  at  the  same  time.  Clothes  are  not 
boiled  but  are  well  soaped  and  put  out  thus  wet  in 
the  hot  sun  to  whiten.  If  taken  home  by  the 
women  they  are  hung  on  barbed  wire  fences  and 
thorny  cactus  hedges  to  dry.  This  fills  the  clothes 
with  those  small  holes  and  tears  so  gratifying  to 
the  average  housewife;  since  it  gives  the  appear- 
ance of  age  to  perfectly  new  sheets,  dresses,  etc. 
The  laundress  always  takes  the  whole  week,  from 


POETO  EKX) 


159 


Monday  till  Saturday,  to  wash  and  iron  for  a 
family. 

From  our  viewpoint  the  truth  is  held  in  slight 
regard  by  the  average  Latin  American.  One  never 
knows  whether  a stranger  intends  keeping  an  ap- 
pointment or  not.  This  gives  the  feeling  of  tread- 
ing on  the  sands  of  uncertainty.  The  excessive 
desire  to  please  leads  them  to  say  the  thing  they 
think  will  give  pleasure  rather  than  to  tell  the 
truth;  especially  is  this  the  case  with  the  laboring 
class.  There  is  a lack  of  moral  courage  to  say  the 
unpleasant  thing. 

Oh!  it  is  a relief,'’  Mrs.  Jordan  once  remarked 
when  nearing  New  York,  “to  be  getting  back 
where  people  say  what  they  mean  and  mean  what 
they  say.” 

Christianity,  however,  makes  a man  truthful  in 
whatever  part  of  the  world  it  finds  him.  We  have 
just  as  high  regard  for  the  word  of  some  of  our 
Spanish- American  friends  in  the  evangelical 
churches  as  for  those  of  any  other  nationality  and 
recognize  in  them  men  and  women  of  integrity  and 
noble  purpose. 


XI 


PORTO  RICO  {Concluded) 

The  systematic  and  cooperative  manner  in 
which  the  various  Protestant  churches  un- 
dertaking work  in  Porto  Rico  have  gone 
about  their  task,  has  meant  much  for  the  efficiency 
of  the  service  rendered.  While  the  two  large  cities 
of  San  Juan  and  Ponce  are  considered  common 
ground  and  open  to  all,  the  rest  of  the  Island  is 
divided  among  the  various  Mission  Boards;  each 
assuming  the  responsibility  of  evangelizing  its 
share  of  the  field.  There  is  not  a corner  of  the  field 
that  is  not  occupied,  and  there  are  very  few  villages 
or  hamlets  that  do  not  have  a regular  preaching 
service  conducted  by  the  workers  of  some  denomi- 
nation. There  is  little,  or  no,  overlapping  and 
the  work  is  proceeding  harmoniously.  Besides 
churches,  there  are  schools  and  orphanages  and  a 
Union  Theological  Seminary,  where  several  stu- 
dents are  studying  under  the  direction  of  mission- 
aries of  their  respective  boards. 

The  hospitals  have  probably  done  more  than  any 
other  one  agency  to  remove  prejudice  and  help  the 
people  of  Porto  Rico  to  see  that  Protestant  mis- 
sionaries are  seeking  their  good.  The  Presbyte- 

i6o 


POETO  EICO 


161 


rian  Hospital  at  San  Juan  is,  by  far,  the  best 
equipped  institution  of  the  kind  in  the  Island.  Its 
fame  has  reached  the  neighboring  Islands  of  St 
Thomas,  St.  Croix,  and  Santo  Domingo;  so  that 
many  who  are  able  to  do  so  send  their  sick  from 
these  places  to  San  Juan  for  treatment  by  Dr,  Hil- 
dreth, the  missionary  surgeon.  Few  are  the  mis- 
sionaries who,  if  they  are  long  in  Porto  Rico,  are 
not,  at  one  time  or  another,  placed  under  obligation 
to  this  institution  and  its  sympathetic  officials. 
Our  first  boy,  George-William,  came  to  bless  our 
home  under  its  roof. 

The  Presbyterians  have  another  hospital  in 
Mayaguez;  the  Episcopalians,  one  in  Ponce;  and 
the  Congregationalists  have  established  one  in  Hu- 
macao  under  the  direction  of  our  old  pupil  and 
friend.  Dr.  Max  Shurter,  who  is  both  an  ordained 
minister  of  the  Gospel  and  a graduated  physician. 
While  at  all  of  these  institutions  a charge  is  made 
to  those  who  are  able  to  pay,  there  is  a daily  clinic 
at  the  dispensary  where  thousands  of  the  poor  are 
treated  freely. 

While  we  would  not  take  away  one  of  these  up- 
lifting and  helpful  institutions  from  Porto  Rico, 
we  could  not  help  reverting  in  our  minds  to  Haiti, 
for  which  American  Christians  are  doing  so  little 
to  mitigate  the  evils  of  heathen  darkness,  and  won- 
dering if  the  Master  would  not  say:  “ This  ought 
ye  to  have  done  and  not  to  have  left  the  other  un- 
done.” 


162  CRUSADING  IN  THE  WEST  INDIES 


The  American  Bible  Society  was  in  Porto  Rico 
as  the  se’rvant  of  all  of  these  churches  and  institu- 
tions, and  had  the  welcome,  support  and  coopera- 
tion of  all.  The  Bible  Society  had  done  founda- 
tion work  before  any  of  the  others  arrived,  sending 
in  Bibles,  even  in  Spanish  times,  through  ships' 
officers,  travellers  and  others,  when  it  was  danger- 
ous for  a Porto  Rican  to  possess  a copy  of  the 
Book.  Now,  however,  the  American  Government 
had  been  there  twelve  years,  with  its  schools,  and 
we  felt  that  the  time  had  come  to  undertake  Bible 
distribution  on  a scale  hitherto  not  attempted,  by 
a house-to-house  canvass  of  the  whole  territory. 
The  money  required  for  this  work  was  appropri- 
ated by  the  Board  of  Managers  and  the  task  ac- 
complished within  the  next  two  years.  Mr.  Cole 
was  brought  over  from  Cuba  to  train  the  workers 
and  conduct  the  campaign.  The  Porto  Rican 
churches  were  requested  to  furnish,  from  their 
membership,  the  needed  workers. 

The  response  to  our  appeal  for  workers  was 
prompt.  Good  men,  earnest,  spiritually  minded 
men,  came  to  us  from  the  various  churches,  recom- 
mended by  their  pastors.  Aquino  Ojeda,  from 
the  Christian  Alliance  of  Barceloneta,  was  the  first 
to  come,  recommended  by  the  much  loved  and  de- 
voted Don  Villamil  Ortiz,  the  converted  priest. 
Next  was  Domingo  Rodriguez,  from  the  Method- 
ist Church  of  Ponce.  Paulino  Dieppa  came  to  us 
from  the  Baptists  of  Caguas.  There  were  many 


BISHOP  BURT  AND  DAUGHTER  WITH  REV.  MANUEL  ANDUJAR  CROSSING  THE  MOUNTAINS  OF  PORTO 
RICO  IN  BIBLE  SOCIETY’S  AUTO.  AUTHOR  IS  AT  THE  WHEEL. 


POETO  RICO 


163 


others  who  worked  with  us  during  the  course  of 
the  two  years,  but  these  were  the  first  and  were 
with  us  the  longest. 

Nineteen  hundred  and  eleven  and  1912  were 
happy  years.  Happy  because,  having  the  money 
needed  and  the  necessary  workers,  we  were  able  to 
carry  out  our  plan  of  a house-to-house  canvass 
with  the  Bible  of  the  whole  Island  of  Porto  Rico, 
securing  results  in  Bible  circulation  far  beyond  our 
expectations.  During  the  first  year  thirty-five  thou- 
sand books  were  sold,  the  larger  number  being  of 
a revised  translation  of  the  Four  Gospels  in  Span- 
ish. All  of  the  towns  were  reached  the  first  year. 
In  1912  a Ford  automobile  was  purchased  in  order 
that  we  might  be  able  to  reach  the  people  living 
near  the  more  than  one  thousand  miles  of  splendid 
roads  that  encircle  and  traverse  the  Island.  I 
spent  most  of  my  time  in  the  car  when  in  Porto 
Rico  that  year,  visiting  the  colporters,  and  the 
churches,  keeping  the  workers  supplied  with  books, 
working  with  them,  etc.  Occasionally  the  mission- 
ary superintendents  living  in  San  Juan  would  plan 
to  go  with  me  on  their  visits,  paying  their  trans- 
portation, thereby  reducing  for  the  Bible  Society 
the  expense  of  the  auto.  In  this  way  Rev.  Manuel 
Andujar  arranged  for  me  to  take  him  over  the 
field  occupied  by  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church 
in  company  with  Bishop  Burt  and  daughter  at  the 
time  of  their  visit  to  Porto  Rico.  The  Rev.  A.  B. 
Rudd,  D.  D.,  of  the  American  Baptist  Home  Mis- 


164  CEUSADIN-Q  IN  THE  WEST  INDIES 


sionary  Society,  was  a congenial  companion  on 
several  such  trips. 

Mr.  Cole,  who  had  been  with  us  all  of  1911,  left 
early  in  1912  for  his  home  in  Kansas  to  complete 
his  college  course;  but  with  the  help  of  the  auto 
and  the  assistance  of  Mr.  Williams,  I was  able  to 
super^dse  the  work  of  the  colporters  that  he  had 
trained.  How  enthusiastically  tliey  worked ! 
There  was  not  a lazy  streak  in  any  of  tliem. 
Some  of  the  other  kind  applied,  but  we  were  able 
to  weed  them  out  quickly.  At  the  suggestion  of 
Dr.  Thomson,  of  !^Iayaguez,  who  was  intensely  in- 
terested in  the  work,  we  engaged  some  of  the  stu- 
dents of  the  Presb}i:erian  Theological  Seminary 
in  that  city  during  the  vacation  period,  and  sent 
them  out  by  twos  over  the  west  end  of  the  Island. 
There  was  a friendly  rivalry^  to  see  who  could  sell 
the  most.  They  would  tell  with  joy  of  selling  to 
nearly  ever}’  house  on  a street,  and,  on  returning  to 
their  lodgings  in  the  evening,  of  seeing  many 
seated  in  the  doorways  reading  the  books  pur- 
chased earlier  in  the  day.  This  year  we  sold  thirty 
thousand  books,  making  over  sixty-five  thousand 
copies  for  the  two  years.  Having  accomplished  the 
specific  task  for  which  I had  asked  to  be  sent  to 
Porto  Rico,  I suggested  that  headquarters  for  the 
agency  be  changed  to  New  York,  in  order  that 
more  attention  might  be  paid  to  the  neglected  and 
more  needy  fields  of  Haiti  and  the  Dominican 
Republic  as  well  as  to  Cuba  and  the  French  Islands. 


POETO  EICO 


165 


I like  to  linger  in  memory  over  the  time  spent 
in  picturesque  Porto  Rico,  because  of  the  associa- 
tions and  life  friendships  formed  among  both  the 
missionaries  and  Porto  Rican  pastors.  There  was 
not  a discordant  note  to  disturb  the  harmony  of 
our  relationships. 

At  the  first  conference  of  the  United  Brethren 
Churches  that  I attended,  the  representatives  of  the 
different  congregations  voted  to  take  an  offering 
simultaneously  in  all  of  the  churches  in  their  field 
for  the  work  of  the  American  Bible  Society,  and 
asked  their  Superintendent,  the  Rev.  P.  W.  Drury, 
of  Ponce,  to  set  the  date.  Mr.  Drury  suggested  to 
me  that  it  would  be  a good  idea  to  see  if  all  of  the 
other  denominations  working  in  the  Island  would 
not  be  willing  to  take  the  same  step  and  thus  have 
a Bible  Sunday  for  Porto  Rico.  Upon  presenta- 
tion of  the  subject  at  the  annual  meetings  of  the 
other  denominations,  favorable  action  was  taken 
and,  finally,  the  third  Sunday  in  November  was 
chosen  as  Bible  Sunday.  It  has  since  become  a 
national  institution  as  far  as  the  Protestant 
churches  of  Porto  Rico  are  concerned.  The  union 
periodical,  Puerto  Rico  Bvangelico,  has  a Bible 
Number,  in  which  all  of  the  articles  treat  of  the 
Bible  in  some  aspect  of  its  importance  in  the 
Christian  life,  as  well  as  of  the  importance  of  its 
circulation  in  the  propagation  of  the  Gospel.  The 
representative  of  the  American  Bible  Society  sends 
cut  circular  letters  to  all  the  pastors  with  such  in- 


166  CRUSADING  IN  THE  WEST  INDIES 


formation  as  may  be  of  help  in  preparing  a dis- 
course suited  to  the  occasion. 

The  Bible  Sunday  idea  was  taken  up  in  Cuba  un- 
der the  direction  of  Rev.  S.  A.  Neblett  and  has 
since  been  continued.  In  1918,  the  pastors  of 
Mexico  took  up  the  idea  with  enthusiasm,  and  wdll 
no  doubt  fix  upon  a day  satisfactory  to  all.  The 
celebration  of  the  day  has  been  found  of  great  help 
in  the  mission  field  in  stimulating  Bible  study  and 
in  arousing  an  interest  in  the  circulation  of  the 
Book.  It  also  keeps  the  w^ork  of  the  American 
Bible  Society  before  the  people,  and,  incidentally, 
the  money  given  not  only  helps  the  givers  to  feel  a 
personal  interest  in  the  work  of  the  Society,  but  it 
enables  us  to  accomplish  more,  for  it  is  spent  in 
circulating  Bibles  in  the  country  in  which  it  is  col- 
lected. 

]\Iany  were  the  incidents  of  interest  in  connec- 
tion with  this  work  of  Bible  distribution.  It  was 
a good  stroke  of  publicity  for  the  work  of  Protes- 
tant Missions.  Early  in  1912,  while  travelling  as 
a second-class  passenger  to  New  York,  I had 
twelve  young  Porto  Ricans  as  fellow-passengers, 
not  one  of  w^hom  was  a member  of  an  evangelical 
church.  When  I told  them  who  I was,  I found 
that  they  all  knew  of  the  work  of  the  American 
Bible  Society,  from  having  met  the  workers  in 
their  home  town  or  village,  though  each  was  from 
a different  part  of  the  Island. 

When  starting  on  my  return  trip  to  Porto  Rico, 


POETO  EICO 


167 


while  the  boat  was  still  tied  to  the  dock  at  Brook- 
lyn, I saw  a prosperous  looking  old  gentleman,  who 
was  leaving  with  us,  bidding  farewell  to  a young 
man  who  had  come  to  see  him  off.  The  old  man, 
after  embracing  the  younger  one,  took  out  of  his 
pocket  and  gave  to  him  one  of  our  small  pocket 
Spanish  Bibles,  at  the  same  time  addressing  him  a 
few  words  of  exhortation  to  which  the  young  man 
listened  seriously.  Thinking  that  the  old  gentle- 
man must  be  a member  of  some  evangelical  church, 
I made  it  a point  to  get  into  conversation  with  him 
on  the  first  day  out.  I was  surprised  to  learn  that 
he  did  not  belong  to  any  church.  He  lived  in 
V ega  Alta,  Porto  Rico,  and  was  returning  from  a 
short  visit  to  his  son  in  the  States.  He  had  at- 
tended the  services  of  the  Presbyterian  Mission  in 
his  home  town,  believed  what  was  taught  there  and 
believed  the  Bible  to  be  the  Word  of  God.  Before 
going  to  New  York  he  had  purchased  a copy  with 
the  express  purpose  of  giving  it  to  his  son.  When 
presenting  it  to  him  on  bidding  him  farewell,  he 
had  exhorted  him  to  read  it  every  day  and  to  do 
his  best  to  follow  its  teachings.  “If  you  will  do 
so,”  he  said,  “ your  father  has  the  assurance  that 
you  will  never  go  wrong.”  Later  I visited  the 
father  at  his  home  in  Porto  Rico.  On  my  second 
visit  he  told  me  with  joy  of  a letter  that  he  had 
just  received  from  his  son  telling  of  his  member- 
ship in  a large  Bible  class  in  a Sunday  school  in  one 
of  our  Western  cities. 


168  CRUSADING  IN  THE  WEST  INDIES 


When  working  in  Ponce  Mr.  Cole  sold  a copy  of 
the  Four  Gospels  to  a gentleman  of  some  educa- 
tion. The  man  knew  something  of  printing  and 
of  the  cost  of  books.  On  examining  the  book 
after  Mr.  Cole  had  left,  he  saw  that  no  money 
could  possibly  have  been  made  by  selling  such  a 
book  for  the  price  that  he  had  paid  for  it.  “If  it 
was  not  for  the  money  that  there  was  in  it,”  he 
asked  himself,  “ why  was  this  young  American  so 
insistent  on  making  a sale  ? ” After  giving  the 
matter  some  thought  he  decided  that  it  must  have 
been  the  American's  religion  that  made  him  so 
zealous  in  the  distribution  of  the  books.  He  be- 
came curious  to  learn  something  of  a religion  that 
made  its  followers  so  enthusiastic  and  solicitous 
over  the  welfare  of  others.  He  began  attending 
the  Protestant  services,  and  was  converted.  The 
Scriptures  are  now  so  generally  circulated  in  Porto 
Rico  that  it  is  quite  common  to  meet  converts  who 
trace  their  first  interest  to  a casual  reading  of  a 
New  Testament  or  Gospel. 

Porto  Rico  may  be  expected  in  the  near  future 
to  supply  missionaries  for  some  of  the  other  Latin- 
American  countries.  During  the  campaign  in  this 
Island  we  were  able  to  send  Mr.  Cole,  in  company 
with  two  Porto  Rican  colporters,  Aquino  Ojeda 
and  Lorenzo  Martinez,  to  the  Dominican  Republic, 
where  in  a short  time  they  sold  five  thousand  copies 
in  house-to-house  work.  Their  visit  was  a source 
of  help  and  cheer  to  the  few  evangelical  Chris- 


PORTO  RICO 


169 


tians  whom  they  met ; but  it  was  a still  greater  help 
and  inspiration  to  them  personally.  It  was  also  a 
source  of  inspiration  to  the  churches  of  Porto 
Rico,  when  these  colporters  returned  telling  of  the 
way  God  had  blessed  them  in  their  missionary  en- 
terprise. The  Porto  Rican  is  not  a great  traveller ; 
and  for  these  humble  workers  to  start  for  the  Do- 
minican Republic  was  more  of  an  undertaking  than 
it  would  be  for  some  of  us  to  start  for  the  Antip- 
odes. 

The  greatest  need  in  the  work  of  evangelization 
of  Porto  Rico  to-day,  as  in  the  case  of  Cuba,  is 
Christian  literature.  Enough  emphasis  has  not 
been  laid  upon  the  importance  of  creating  and  cir- 
culating Christian  literature  in  the  Spanish  lan- 
guage. The  Committee  of  Cooperation  in  Latin 
America  has  done  much  in  helping  the  different 
denominations  to  get  together  for  a united  effort  in 
this  line.  A bi-monthly  paper,  Puerto  Rico  Evan- 
gelic o,  is  published  in  Ponce  and  is  the  organ  of 
most  of  the  different  mission  organizations  in  the 
Island.  The  paper  ought  to  be  enlarged  and  illus- 
trated and  made  into  a weekly  family  paper  for  the 
home.  More  money  should  be  put  into  the  work 
of  pushing  religious  and  other  uplifting  literature. 
Such  books  should  be  distributed  by  sale  rather 
than  by  gift,  but  sold  at  a price  that  would  place 
them  within  the  reach  of  all.  Missionary  col- 
porters should  be  kept  constantly  at  the  work  of 
creating  a desire  to  possess  and  read  such  books, 


XII 


THE  FRENCH  ISLANDS 

Beginning  with  the  island  of  St.  Thomas, 
directly  to  the  east  of  Porto  Rico,  and 
stretching  in  the  form  of  a segment  of  a 
circle  from  Porto  Rico  to  the  Island  of  Trinidad, 
is  the  belt  of  islands  called  the  Lesser  Antilles; 
thrown  up,  as  it  were,  to  form  a boundary  between 
the  Caribbean  Sea  and  the  Atlantic  Ocean.  . The 
first  group  consists  of  the  Virgin  Islands  which 
the  United  States  has  recently  acquired  by  pur- 
chase from  Denmark.  Of  the  remainder  the 
greater  part  are  British,  and  English  speaking, 
though  the  population  is  almost  entirely  black. 

The  two  largest  of  these  Islands,  namely  Guade- 
loupe and  Martinique,  together  with  a very  few 
small  islands  lying  near  Guadeloupe,  are  French. 
The  population  of  these  islands  also  is  largely 
black.  They  are,  however,  a part  of  the  French 
Republic,  and  send  a deputy  and  two  senators  each 
to  the  French  Chamber  in  Paris,  to  look  after  their 
interests.  The  American  Bible  Society  does  not 
attempt  to  do  any  Bible  circulation  in  the  British 
Islands,  leaving  the  work  there  entirely  to  the  care 
of  the  British  and  Foreign  Bible  Society  of  Lon- 

170 


THE  FEENCH  ISLANDS 


171 


don,  England.  Our  efforts  are  confined  exclu- 
sively to  the  Spanish  and  French-speaking  West 
Indies. 

There  is  no  Protestant  mission  work  in  the 
French  Islands;  and  from  the  reception  that  had 
been  given  Bible  Society  colporters  in  their  former 
visits,  the  people  were  thought  to  be  very  fanatical. 
The  last  man  attempting  to  sell  Bibles  on  the 
streets  of  Basseterre,  the  Capital  of  Guadeloupe, 
had  been  stoned  and  driven  from  the  city.  On  one 
of  my  visits  to  Cape  Haiti  the  Rev.  Mr.  Tanner, 
of  the  Seventh  Day  Adventists’  Mission  there,  told 
me  that  he  had  received  two  requests  for  French 
Bibles  from  the  Island  of  Guadeloupe.  One  came 
from  a school  teacher,  and  the  other  from  a law- 
yer. These  requests  came  through  a party  living 
in  the  English  island  of  Dominique,  who  said  there 
was  no  place  in  Guadeloupe  where  a Bible  could 
be  purchased.  Learning  that  the  separation  of 
Church  and  State  in  France  had  taken  effect  in  the 
colonies  also,  it  seemed  to  me  that  the  time  was 
propitious  for  a representative  of  the  American 
Bible  Society  to  visit  these  islands. 

The  French  Trans- Atlantic  Line  had  a small 
boat,  the  Ahd-el-Kadr,  that  made  a monthly  itiner- 
ary from  the  Island  of  Martinique  to  Santiago  de 
Cuba,  calling  at  Guadeloupe,  St.  Thomas,  Porto 
Rico,  the  Dominican  Republic  and  Haiti,  taking  to 
these  Islands  articles  of  French  manufacture,  gath- 
ering up  on  the  way  the  products  of  the  tropics  to 


172  CRUSADING  IN  THE  WEST  INDIES 


take  back  to  Martinique,  where  they  were  trans- 
ferred to  the  larger  vessels  of  the  same  line  re- 
turning to  France.  Taking  this  boat  in  May, 
1911,  our  first  stop  was  at  St.  Thomas  for  coal. 
Here  I went  ashore  and  was  the  guest  for  the 
night  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Wallacker.  The  day  fol- 
lowing we  proceeded  on  our  journey.  The  trip 
was  a delightful  one.  On  the  boat  I became  ac- 
quainted with  Mr.  Eberhardt,  United  States  Con- 
sul at  Large,  who  was  visiting  the  Consulates  of 
Latin  America. 

This  trip  had  more  of  adventure  in  it  than  any 
other  that  I had  ever  taken  in  the  interests  of 
Bible  distribution.  I knew  no  one  living  in  the 
Island  where  I was  going,  neither  was  I known 
there,  nor  did  I have  any  letters  of  introduction. 
I was  taking  with  me  as  baggage  several  cases  con- 
taining eleven  hundred  copies  of  Scriptures  and 
was  going  to  attempt  to  sell  them  in  a city  from 
which  the  last  Bible  seller  had  been  driven  with 
stones  and  other  missiles  thrown  by  the  negro 
population  incited  by  Romish  priests. 

It  was  after  dark  on  Saturday  night  wLen  we 
came  to  anchor  off  Basseterre,  the  Capital  of  Gua- 
deloupe. Mr.  Florandin,  the  American  Vice-Con- 
sul, came  off  in  a small  boat  to  meet  his  chief, 
whom  he  was  expecting.  On  my  introduction  to 
him  by  Mr.  Eberhardt,  he  offered  to  take  me  also 
ashore,  together  with  my  baggage,  in  his  own 
boat.  I was  thus  spared  tlie  usual  bargaining  and 


THE  FEENCH  ISLANDS 


173 


bantering  with  the  vociferating  black  boatmen  as 
to  who  should  secure  the  landing  fee  and  how 
much  it  should  be.  I\Ir.  Florandin  very  kindly  saw 
us  comfortably  settled  in  the  best  rooms  of  the 
only  hotel  before  leaving  us  for  the  night. 

Sunday  was  a beautiful  day  and  was  spent  wan- 
dering about,  admiring  the  natural  beauties  of  the 
city  and  its  surroundings.  Basseterre  is  built  in  a 
depression  at  the  foot  of  a slightly  active  volcano, 
la  Souffriere,  which  looms  up  so  threateningly  in 
the  background  as  to  make  a stranger  wonder  why 
the  spot  should  ever  have  been  chosen  as  the  site 
for  a city.  The  cleanliness  of  the  streets  presented 
a striking  contrast  with  the  filth  of  those  of  Port- 
au-Prince,  Haiti.  Copious  and  never  failing  rapid 
streams  from  the  sides  of  the  towering  mountain 
are  diverted  through  the  well-paved  streets  in  pipes 
and  open  gutters,  so  that  at  no  time  is  one  out  of 
hearing  of  the  music  of  running  water.  The 
streets  are  all  well  paved  with  cobblestones,  and  are 
sloped  towards  the  centre,  so  that  down  the  middle 
of  many  of  them  runs  a tiny  brook  of  sparkling 
mountain  water.  The  streets  were  all  as  clean  as 
a well-swept  floor  and  malodors  were  conspicuous 
by  their  absence. 

The  city,  which  has  seven  or  eight  thousand  in- 
habitants, had  a bright,  cheery,  prosperous  appear- 
ance. The  display  of  bright  colors  in  the  varie- 
gated dresses  of  the  women  with  their  long  flowing 
skirts,  the  superabundance  of  the  folds  of  which 


174  CKUSADING  IN  THE  WEST  INDIES 


are  either  gathered  up  and  tucked  in  at  the  waist 
or  thrown  over  the  arm;  and  the  many-hued  ban- 
danna turbans,  enhances  the  impression  of  cheer 
and  prosperity. 

In  Port-au-Prince,  Haiti,  the  burdens  are  car- 
ried by  the  donkey;  and  the  picturesque  little  ani- 
mal trudging  along  under  loads  out  of  all  propor- 
tion to  its  size,  and  on  the  top  of  which  is  perched 
the  unfeeling  driver,  excites  the  sympathy  of  the 
visitor.  In  Basseterre  it  is  the  gaudily  dressed, 
quaintly  turbaned  ladies  of  African  origin,  who, 
with  springy  step  and  smiling  face,  bring  in  the 
produce  of  the  surrounding  country,  piled  in  huge 
baskets  on  their  heads.  Nor  does  one  see  the  male 
element  of  the  community  in  any  way  objecting  to 
this  assumption  of  the  burden  by  their  better 
halves. 

The  love  of  finery  on  the  part  of  the  inhabitants 
of  Guadeloupe  is  indicated  also  in-- their  little 
homes,  the  walls  of  which  are  decorated  with 
highly  colored  chromos,  pictures  of  the  Virgin  and 
the  Saints,  and  those  horrid  representations  of  the 
Christ  showing  an  exposed,  bleeding  heart  and  de- 
picting an  agony  in  the  features  that  would  be  un- 
worthy a man  dying  in  a noble  cause,  but  utterly 
inconceivable  in  the  Christ  the  Son  of  God.  The 
church  doors  being  open,  I entered  and  saw  a scat- 
tered few  kneeling  before  the  images  of  the  Virgin 
and  muttering  their  “Ave  Marias.’^ 

Altogether  the  impressions  of  Basseterre  ac- 


THE  FRENCH  ISLANDS 


176 


quired  during  that  Sunday  of  rest  and  waiting 
were  favorable.  It  seemed  to  have  the  natural  ad- 
vantages destined  to  make  it  a veritable  Paradise. 
The  abundance  of  water  combined  with  the  heat 
of  the  Tropics  produced  a luxuriant  vegetation,  a 
maze  of  vines,  flowering  trees  and  shrubs.  The 
people  also  appeared  to  be  genial,  light-hearted  and 
accessible.  I was  glad  for  the  Sabbath’s  rest  and 
anxious  to  begin  the  work  of  the  morrow. 

Business  begins  early  in  Basseterre.  The  Cus- 
tom House  was  open  at  six  a.  m.  My  books  were 
admitted  free  of  duty  and  I succeeded  in  getting 
them  to  the  hotel  without  any  delay.  Taking  with 
me  an  assortment  of  fifty  Gospels  and  a few  Testa- 
ments, I started  for  the  market-place ; after  paying 
a fee  of  a few  cents  for  the  privilege  of  selling,  and 
securing  a receipt,  I began  to  offer  my  books. 

As  soon  as  they  learned  what  I was  selling,  the 
people  crowded  around  me,  to  the  extent  that  I 
was  obliged  to  stand  on  a large  stone,  in  order  to 
be  a little  above  them  and  to  be  able  to  serve  them 
better.  In  a few  minutes  the  books  were  all  sold 
and  many  were  the  disappointed  faces  of  those 
who  were  reaching  out  their  hands  with  the  money, 
in  their  eagerness  to  secure  a copy  of  the  Gospel. 
Twice,  during  the  morning,  was  I obliged  to  re- 
turn to  my  room  for  a new  supply,  and  by  noon 
had  disposed  of  three  hundred  Gospels,  by  sale,  in 
the  market-place.  I spent  the  afternoon  in  visiting 
the  stores  of  the  principal  street,  meeting  with 


176  CRUSADING  IN  THE  WEST  INDIES 


but  two  refusals  to  buy,  each  on  the  ground  that 
anything  pertaining  to  religion  was  a woman’s 
affair  and  not  worthy  the  attention  of  men. 

In  Haiti,  the  most  common  objection  to  purchas- 
ing a book  is  inability  to  read.  This  objection  is 
very  rare  in  the  French  Islands.  I think  that  the 
only  persons  who  objected,  in  Guadeloupe,  on  the 
ground  of  being  unable  to  read  were  Hindus,  of 
whom  there  are  some  twelve  thousand  of  the 
poorer  class  in  the  Island.  The  few  of  these 
Hindus  that  I saw  in  the  vicinity  of  Basseterre 
were  very  unhappy,  disconsolate  looking  specimens 
of  humanity,  and  lacked  altogether  the  vivacity 
and  sprightliness  of  the  negro  population.  They 
were  brought  over  from  the  French  possessions  in 
India,  under  the  contract  system  to  work  on  the 
plantations,  and  were  disappointed  at  not  being 
sent  home  at  the  end  of  five  years;  as  they  claimed 
the  contract  provided  they  should  be. 

Towards  the  close  of  the  day’s  work,  as  I was 
about  to  return  to  the  hotel,  tired,  but  pleased  with 
the  unexpected  success,  I saw  a poorly  dressed  but 
cleanly  looking  man  coming  towards  me  leading 
two  little  children.  He  asked  me  very  animatedly 
if  I was  selling  Bibles;  if  I believed  in  Jesus,  and 
in  conversion.  He  then  told  me  that  he  had  been 
converted  some  ten  years  previously,  through  the 
labors  of  an  independent  worker,  who  had  visited 
the  Island,  and  had  preached  to  little  groups  that 
gathered  to  listen  in  the  homes  of  those  who  were 


THE  FEENCH  ISLANDS 


177 


willing  to  receive  him.  The  man  who  had  accosted 
me  was  a government  employee.  He  had  heard 
during  the  day  from  his  fellow  employees  in  the 
office  that  I was  in  the  city  selling  Bibles,  and  as 
soon  as  his  work  was  over  for  the  day,  had  set  out 
to  find  me.  He  told  me  that  he  had  never  pos- 
sessed a Bible.  He  had  only  a New  Testament  and 
this  was  so  old  and  worn  that  it  would  hardly  hold 
together.  His  greatest  desire  was  to  own  a whole 
Bible  printed  in  large  type  and  having  references. 

I accompanied  the  man  to  his  home  and  there 
met  his  wife  and  eight  children.  I had  prayers 
with  them  that  evening,  both  husband  and  wife 
taking  part,  as  they  said  was  their  custom.  The 
following  day  it  was  my  privilege  to  present  him 
with  a large  type,  French,  family,  reference  Bible. 
Both  parents  and  children  were  made  very  happy 
by  the  gift.  As  far  as  I could  learn,  this  was  the 
only  family  in  all  Guadeloupe  that  met  for  family 
worship  using  God’s  Word  and  really  praying  in- 
stead of  counting  beads,  mumbling  Ave  Marias, 
and  presenting  themselves  before  some  image  or 
picture. 

The  next  day  I took  passage  on  a small  mail 
steamer  running  twice  a week  from  Basseterre,  the 
Capital,  to  Pointe-a-Pitre,  the  business  centre  of 
the  Island.  Guadeloupe  is  really  made  up  of  two 
islands.  The  narrow  arm  of  the  sea  that  separates 
them,  however,  is  only  from  one  hundred  to  four 
hundred  feet  across  and  is  called  the  Salt  River. 


178  CEUSADI2sG  K THE  WEST  IXDIES 


This  river  is  bridged  and  the  tv\*o  islands  are  gen- 
erally spoken  of  as  one.  I had  taken  with  me  the 
rest  of  my  books  and  was  going  to  Pointe-a-Pitre, 
not  because  I had  finished  the  work  in  Basseterre ; 
but  because  I wanted  to  see  as  much  of  the  Island 
as  possible,  and  become  familiar  with  prevailing 
conditions.  There  were  about  a dozen  first-class 
passengers,  including  Mr.  Eberhardt,  the  Ameri- 
can Consul  at  Large,  the  vice-consul,  Mr.  Floran- 
din,  !Mr.  ^loore  of  the  British  Cable  Company,  a 
priest  and  several  nuns. 

I had  not  thought  of  attempting  to  sell  any 
books  on  the  boat,  and  was  sitting  conversing  with 
Mr.  Eberhardt  and  Mr.  !Moore;  when  a girl  came 
up  from  the  lower  deck,  hesitatingly  approached, 
and  holding  out  a Gospel  of  Luke,  asked  me  if  I 
was  the  gentleman  who  had  sold  it  ^-T  acknowl- 
edged having  done  so,  thinking  perhaps  she  wished 
to  return  the  book  and  receive  her  money  back,  as 
superstitious  people  sometimes  do  when  their  re- 
ligious leaders  tell  them  that  the  Bible  is  a per- 
nicious book,  which  will  bring  evil  to  the  house- 
hold if  they  retain  it.  But  no,  she  wanted  to  know 
if  she  could  secure  another.  I opened  my  valise  and 
sold  her  one.  Then  several  of  the  first-class  pas- 
sengers, seeing  what  I had,  bought  Bibles  and 
Testaments,  without  waiting  for  me  to  offer  them. 
The  girl  returned  two  or  three  times  to  buy  Gos- 
pels. Finally  I thought  I had  better  go  down  my- 
self among  the  deck  passengers.  Vtry  soon  all  of 


THE  FEENCH  ISLANDS 


179 


the  books  that  I had  in  my  hand-bag  were  disposed 
of. 

As  there  were  more  who  wanted  books,  I went 
to  the  man  in  charge  of  the  cargo  and  prevailed 
upon  him  to  open  the  hold  and  let  me  get  at  my 
baggage.  The  hatchway  was  covered  with  the  bag- 
gage of  the  deck  passengers;  but  they  gladly  re- 
moved it  that  the  hatch  might  be  opened  to  let  me 
bring  up  more  Bibles.  I brought  up  half  a dozen 
Testaments  and  some  more  Bibles  which  were  sold 
at  once.  The  lunch  gong  then  sounded  and  I went 
to  eat.  No  sooner  had  I taken  my  seat  at  the  table 
than  a member  of  the  crew  came  to  ask  if  I could 
not  get  another  Bible.  No,  he  could  not  wait  till 
we  reached  Pointe-a-Pitre,  nor  until  lunch  was 
over ; as  it  was  wanted  by  a passenger  who  was  get- 
ting off  the  boat  at  the  next  stop.  So  down  I went 
into  the  hold  again  for  more  Bibles  and  Testa- 
ments, leaving  the  food  untouched. 

What  occupation  could  have  been  more  delight- 
ful and  what  work  more  satisfactory  than  the 
putting  of  the  Bible  into  the  hands  of  those  whose 
hearts  were  hungry  for  its  message?  It  was  a joy 
to  see  the  passengers,  at  every  stop,  as  they  left 
for  the  shore  in  the  small  boats,  holding  up  a Bible 
or  a Testament  or  both,  in  their  hands,  out  of  reach 
of  the  splashing  of  the  water.  Throughout  the 
day,  until  we  reached  Pointe-a-Pitre,  persons  could 
be  constantly  seen  reading  the  books  they  had  just 
secured. 


180  CRUSADHsG  IN  THE  WEST  INDIES 


Six  o’clock  the  next  morning  found  me  in  the 
market-place  at  Pointe-a-Pitre.  Finding  that  I was 
too  early,  I made  my  way  back  to  a wharf  where 
I had  seen  some  small  boats  unloading  charcoal  and 
other  produce.  Here  I sold  sixty  books  before 
going  to  breakfast  at  seven.  After  breakfast  I 
went  again  to  the  market-place  where  the  recep- 
tion accorded  the  books  was  the  same  as  in  the 
market  at  Basseterre.  People  crowded  around  me 
to  buy  and  by  ten  o’clock  I had  sold  the  remain- 
ing six  hundred  Gospels  together  with  some  Bibles 
and  Testaments. 

At  this  market  a well-dressed  woman  of  ap- 
parently more  than  ordinary’  intelligence  asked  if 
I had  the  whole  Bible.  I showed  her  one,  but  the 
print  was  too  small  to  suit  her.  She  wanted  the 
largest  and  best  to  be  had.  I told  her  I had  a large 
one  at  the  hotel.  She  waited  till  I had  sold  out 
my  Gospels,  and  went  with  me  to  the  hotel  where 
she  purchased  a large  family  Bible  in  French;  and 
went  away  seemingly  much  pleased  with  the  acqui- 
sition. I could  not  help  wondering  who  she  might 
be.  Had  I missed  the  opportunity  of  getting  ac- 
quainted with  another  family  of  believers  in 
Guadeloupe  ? 

A gentleman  present  volunteered  the  informa- 
tion that  the  woman  was  a professional  sorceress, 
and  probably  wanted  the  Bible  to  use  in  her  divina- 
tions. He  also  asked  if  I would  have  sold  it  to 
her  if  I had  known  her  to  be  a sorceress.  I replied 


1?HE  FEENCH  ISLANDS 


181 


that  I would  have  done  so;  for  she  could  read 
well;  and,  although  the  book  was  not  purchased 
with  the  right  motive,  the  message  might  reach  her 
heart.  One  of  the  most  successful  native  evan- 
gelists in  Haiti  was  converted  by  means  of  a Bible 
given  him  by  a ""  mamalois''  (sorceress)  after  she 
had  retained  it  among  her  possessions  for  twenty 
years.  The  Bible  contains  the  Word  of  God. 
Without  it  the  people  perish.  With  it,  under  the 
blessing  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  fruit  is  brought  forth, 
at  times,  from  the  most  unlikely  places.  If  the 
book  is  read,  the  Holy  Spirit  may  be  trusted  to  do 
the  work. 

That  afternoon  I visited  the  stores  and  readily 
sold  all  of  the  remaining  books;  so  that  by  night, 
Wednesday,  having  begun  in  Basseterre  on  Mon- 
day morning,  every  one  of  the  eleven  hundred 
books  had  been  disposed  of,  and  no  opposition 
whatever  encountered.  On  Thursday  I returned 
to  Basseterre  to  await  the  return  from  Martinique 
of  the  same  boat  on  which  I had  come. 


XIII 


THE  FRENCH  ISLANDS  {Concluded) 

I HAD  planned  remaining  until  the  return  of 
the  boat  the  following  month ; but  three  days* 
work  had  accomplished  more  in  the  way  of 
Bible  distribution  than  I had  hoped  to  be  able  to 
accomplish  in  a month.  It  would  be  three  days 
more  before  the  boat  was  due  on  its  return  trip  and 
I decided  to  give  myself  the  pleasure  of  a mountain 
climb,  by  making  the  ascent  of  la  Souffriere,  which 
towered  so  threateningly  above  the  little  island 
Capital. 

The  first  stage  of  the  trip  from  Basseterre  to 
the  top  of  the  volcano  is  by  a stage-coach  drawn 
by  mules,  over  a well  macadamized  road,  to  a 
small  village  where  one  must  pass  the  night,  in 
order  to  get  an  early  morning  start.  I had  been 
told  that  there  was  no  hotel;  but  that  I could  se- 
cure a room  and  meals  at  the  convent.  Arriving 
at  the  village  towards  evening,  I knocked  at  the 
door  of  an  unpretentious  looking  building  which 
was  said  to  be  the  convent  and  asked  the  servant 
who  appeared  if  I could  see  the  Mother  Superior. 
Soon  a French  woman,  well  past  middle  age,  came 
to  welcome  me,  attired  in  the  garb  of  her  order. 

182 


THE  FEENCH  ISLANDS 


183 


To  her  I said  rather  hesitatingly,  as  it  seemed  a 
strange  question  to  ask  a Roman  nun: 

I have  been  told  that  you  put  up  travellers  ? 
“Yes,”  she  replied.  “We  must  do  something 
for  a living  now  that  the  Government  no  longer 
supports  us.” 

She  herself  showed  me  my  room,  and  said  that 
she  hoped  I would  be  comfortable  and  told  me  the 
hour  of  supper.  Shortly  after  the  nun  left,  an  old 
French  priest  came  in  and  introducing  himself  as 
Pere  Duss,  inquired  where  I was  from.  On  learn- 
ing that  I came  originally  from  the  Province  of 
Quebec  he  said: 

“ Then  you  are  a Catholic?  ” 

“ Not  in  your  acceptance  of  the  term,”  I replied. 
“ Oh,  that  is  all  right.  I believe  that  a good 
Protestant  can  be  saved.” 

Then  he  said  that  he  had  come  in,  thinking  that 
I might  like  to  take  a walk  around  the  village. 
He  informed  me  that  he  was  the  author  of  a work 
on  the  botany  of  Martinique  and  Guadeloupe,  and 
that  he  knew  every  plant  in  the  vicinity.  Father 
Duss  was  a most  interesting  man.  We  not  only 
took  this  walk  together,  but  several  others  during 
the  days  that  I was  waiting  for  my  boat.  He  was 
just  bubbling  over  with  most  interesting  informa- 
tion regarding  the  plant  life  of  the  region.  In  few 
parts  of  the  world  is  there  to  be  found  a greater 
abundance  and  variety  of  vegetation  than  on  the 
sides  of  la  Souffriere.  Orchids  abound.  The  limbs 


184  CEUSADINQ  IX  THE  WEST  IXDIES 


of  the  great  trees  are  loaded  with  epiphytes  in 
almost  endless  variety.  Long  rope-like  lianas 
reached  from  the  limbs  of  the  tallest  trees  to  the 
ground.  Ever>'  plant  seemed  to  be  an  open  book 
to  Father  Duss.  I could  listen  to  him  by  the  hour 
as  he  told  the  most  interesting  peculiarities  of  each. 

After  supper  I made  arrangements  with  the 
guide  to  call  for  me  at  four  o'clock  in  the  morning, 
in  order  that  we  might  reach  the  top  before  the 
view  should  be  obscured  by  the  gathering  clouds 
that  at  this  time  of  the  year  hang  over  the  moun- 
tain during  the  latter  part  of  the  day. 

The  w^ay  up  the  mountain  was  over  a trail, 
which  led  for  the  first  part  of  the  way  beneath 
gigantic  forest  trees  holding  aloft  their  load  of 
epiphytes,  to  receive  the  moisture  of  , the  higher 
air.  As  we  proceeded  in  the  ascent  the  trees  be- 
came shorter  and  of  a more  scrubby  nature,  until 
the  large  trees  gave  way  entirely  to  shrubs,  grass 
and  low  lying  plants  bearing  many  flowers  peculiar 
to  the  altitude.  Here  we  found  raspberries,  dew- 
berries and  a species  of  strawberry;  the  first  that 
I had  seen  growing  in  the  Tropics.  Just  before 
leaving  the  tree  line  we  passed  a stream  of  hot 
water  issuing  from  the  side  of  the  mountain  and 
rushing  rapidly  on  its  way  do\Mi  the  slope,  de- 
positing sulphur  and  other  mineral  contents  on  the 
rocks  as  it  passed. 

A little  later  we  reached  a point  where  the  over- 
hanging rocks  of  the  outer  edge  of  the  crater  were 


THE  FRENCH  ISLANDS 


185 


almost  perpendicularly  above  and  seemed  likely,  at 
any  moment,  to  let  go  and  fall,  crushing  us.  We 
passed  several  places  where  such  rocks  had  be- 
come loosened  and  dashed  down  the  mountainside. 
My  feelings  at  the  time  were  somewhat  like  those 
which  I used  to  imagine  Bunyan’s  Christian  to 
have  felt  when  standing  under  the  overhanging 
rocks  of  Sinai.  The  last  stretch  was  accomplished 
by  using  all  fours,  hanging  on  to  the  bunches  of 
grass  and  roots  and  digging  in  to  the  crevices  of 
the  rocks  as  we  pulled  our  way  almost  perpen- 
dicularly up  between  two  of  the  great  boulders  that 
appeared  on  the  point  of  letting  themselves  go 
down  the  slopes  beneath. 

The  top  reached,  we  found  ourselves  on  a com- 
paratively level  broken  table  of  rock  of  consider- 
able extent  where  paths  led  between  high  boulders 
and  apparently  bottomless  chasms.  But  alas  for 
our  hopes  of  getting  a view  of  Guadeloupe  and  the 
surrounding  islands,  from  this  vantage  point. 
Clouds  already  obscured  the  sky  and  everything 
below.  There  was  a drizzling  rain  with  a high 
wind,  that  made  our  short  stay  anything  but  pleas- 
ant. 

At  several  places  there  were  fissures  in  the 
rocks  from  which  strong  jets  of  gas  and  steam 
were  issuing  with  a noise  like  that  of  steam  escap- 
ing from  the  safety  valve  of  an  enormous  engine. 
Around  one  of  these  openings  some  previous  vis- 
itors had  piled  a little  heap  of  rocks,  upon  which 


186  CEUSADDsG  IN  THE  WEST  INDIES 


surphur  was  being  deposited  by  the  escaping  gases 
in  the  form  of  flowers  of  sulphur.  Taking  a piece 
of  rock  I broke  off  from  the  edges  of  the  fissure 
a few^  pieces  of  sulphur,  and  collected  a little  of 
the  flour}^  powder  to  bring  away  as  a souvenir. 
The  inhabitants  of  Basseterre  feel  that  as  long  as 
these  safety  valves,  that  we  could  see  and  hear  dis- 
charging their  gases  from  the  different  places  in 
the  summit,  remain  open  there  is  no  danger  of  an- 
other eruption.  There  is  a feeling,  however,  that 
if  these  should  become  stopped  up,  Basseterre  had 
better  look  out. 

The  guide  then  took  me  to  see  the  largest  of  the 
craters,  an  abyss  whose  perpendicular  sides  ex- 
tended beyond  the  reach  of  vision,  loosing  them- 
selves in  unfathomable  darkness.  The^crater  of  la 
Souffriere  is  not  bowl-shaped  like  that  of  most 
volcanoes.  Its  sides  are  perpendicular  to  the  very 
top. 

After  waiting  a short  time  in  the  vain  hope  that 
the  clouds  might  disappear,  so  that  we  could  get  a 
glimpse  of  the  country  below,  we  began  the  de- 
scent. 

The  return  was  comparatively  easy,  and  in  a 
short  time  we  were  at  a spot  called  Les  Baines  ** 

the  baths  ”).  Here  a hot  stream  coming  out  of 
the  side  of  the  mountain  was  retained  by  a cement 
dam  forming  a pool  with  baths  of  var}dng  tem- 
perature. Soaked  and  tired  as  we  were,  the  guide 
and  myself  plunged  into  the  gratefully  warm 


THE  FREI^CH  ISLANDS 


187 


water.  It  was  wonderfully  refreshing,  and  after 
a half  hour  or  so  spent  in  the  water  the  sense  of 
weariness  and  fatigue  from  the  climb  had  com- 
pletely disappeared,  and  we  returned  to  the  convent 
feeling  almost  as  fresh  as  when  we  had  left  in  the 
morning.  I was  late  for  dinner;  but  the  sisters 
had  ordered  the  food  kept  warm  for  me.  After  I 
had  dined,  Father  Duss  came  to  take  me  for  an- 
other walk. 

Mr.  Duss  had  been,  for  forty-five  years,  a priest 
in  Guadeloupe  ministering  to  the  Blacks  in  the 
ways  prescribed  by  his  Church.  He  struck  me  as 
being  unhappy  and  lonesome  because  of  lack  of 
intellectual  and  spiritual  companionship.  He  also 
had  a feeling  that  he  had  not  been  treated  rightly 
in  the  matter  of  his  book,  the  result  of  a life  study 
of  the  plant  life  of  his  field.  I could  not  fail  to 
sympathize  with  the  good  old  gentleman,  who  was 
not  well  and  had  come  to  the  village  on  the  moun- 
tainside to  see  if  he  could  not  get  the  malaria  which 
was  troubling  him  out  of  his  system.  On  our  last 
walk  together,  he  invited  me  to  step  into  the  little 
church  with  him  to  “ salute  the  good  God,”  as  he 
expressed  it.  We  entered  and  I waited  while  he 
devoutly  went  through  his  adoration  of  the  image 
of  the  infant  Christ. 

Before  leaving,  I told  Father  Duss  of  the  mis- 
sion that  had  brought  me  to  the  Island. 

“You  can  never  sell  Bibles  here,”  he  said;  and 
he  seemed  much  astonished  to  learn  of  my  success. 


188  CEUSADING  IN  THE  WEST  INDIES 


He  then  plead  with  me  to  change  my  occupation, 
saying: 

“ You  are  too  good  a man  to  be  engaged  in  such 
a work.  The  circulation  of  the  Bible,  especially 
in  the  very  corrupt  and  apocopated  form  in  which 
it  is  held  by  the  Protestants,  can  do  nothing  but 
harm.” 

He  claimed  that  Christ  had  delegated  to  the 
Pope  and  the  Bishops  the  right  to  interpret  the 
Word;  that  it  was  dangerous,  exceedingly  danger- 
ous, for  individuals  to  attempt  to  read  and  follow 
its  teachings,  except  under  the  guidance  of  the 
Holy  Roman  Catholic  Church.  He  had  a very  ex- 
aggerated idea  of  the  denominational  divisions  of 
Protestantism  which  he  declared  were  the  result 
of  the  pernicious  doctrine  of  the  right  of  private 
interpretation.  Our  discussion  did  not  last  long 
and  was  of  the  most  friendly  character.  We  could 
not  proceed  far  together,  however,  as  I could  not 
accept  the  authority  of  the  doctrines  of  Rome;  nor 
he,  the  teachings  of  the  Bible,  except  as  explained 
by  the  Roman  commentators.  Even  then  he 
claimed  not  to  have  sufficient  wisdom  to  under- 
stand its  message.  Said  he:  “ God  has  given  His 
Holy  Spirit  to  the  Pope  and  the  Bishops  so  that 
they  may  understand  and  teach  us.  It  is  not  for 
us  to  attempt  to  understand  it.”  Of  course,  neither 
of  us  was  convinced,  though  I am  sure  each  gave 
the  other  plenty  of  food  for  thought.  My  heart 
went  out  to  the  old  priest  whose  religion  was  one 


THE  FEEIsXH  ISLANDS 


189 


of  good  works  and  who  seemed  to  be  missing  the 
joys  of  service. 

After  my  return  to  San  Juan  we  were  able  to 
send  a French-speaking  colporter  from  Porto  Rico 
to  make  a more  extended  visit  to  Guadeloupe.  He 
also  visited  the  Island  of  Martinique.  His  efforts 
were  attended  with  even  greater  success  than  mine 
had  been.  Seven  thousand  five  hundred  Scriptures 
were  sold  in  the  two  islands  during  the  year. 

There  are  certain  similarities  between  the  work 
in  the  French  Islands  and  that  in  Haiti.  The 
Patois  spoken  in  both  is  much  the  same.  I found 
that  a few  of  the  stock  phrases  I had  used  in  sell- 
ing books  in  the  latter  were  equally  useful  in 
Guadeloupe.  In  both  places  the  bulk  of  the  popu- 
lation is  negro;  but  the  negroes  of  the  French 
Islands  have  been  in  constant  contact  with  the 
white  man  and  education  Is  so  general  that  nearly 
all  are  able  to  read.  In  both,  the  negro  is  very 
superstitious;  but  the  superstition  of  the  French 
Islands  does  not  cdivvy  with  it  the  gross  bestiality 
of  that  of  Haiti.  The  sorcerer,  or  Papa-Diable  of 
Guadeloupe  is  a very  different  person  from  the 
witch  doctor  of  Haiti.  The  sorcerer  of  the  French 
Islands  impresses  one  as  a knavish  trickster  while 
the  Papalois  of  Haiti  is  a malevolent  criminal.  On 
the  other  hand,  the  French  Islands  have  no  such 
Protestant  community  working  for  the  uplift  of 
their  fellows  as  has  Haiti.  Hitherto  these  islands 
with  their  nearly  half  million  souls,  the  majority 


190  CEUSADIlsQ  Ds  THE  WEST  IXDIES 


of  whom  can  read,  have  been  untouched  by  the 
efforts  of  any  Missionary  Board. 

The  report  of  my  success  and  of  the  cordial  re- 
ception of  the  Scriptures  in  the  Island  of  Guade- 
loupe was  received  with  much  interest  by  the 
churches  in  Porto  Rico.  Shortly  after  my 
return  I spoke  in  the  Congregational  Church  in 
Fajardo,  Porto  Rico,  of  the  work  in  Guadeloupe, 
and  of  our  need  of  a French-speaking  col- 
porter  for  these  islands.  About  a year  later, 
a young  Swiss  mechanic,  who  had  heard  me 
in  Fajardo,  offered  himself  for  ser\dce.  We  sent 
him  to  Guadeloupe.  Everywhere  he  went  he  was 
told  of  a young  man  who  had  preceded  him  giving 
away  tracts  and  preaching  to  small  groups  in  pri- 
^'ate  houses.  At  last  the  two  met  and  finding  that 
they  were  kindred  spirits  continued  together  in  the 
work. 

A copy  of  the  “ Bible  Record  ” containing  an 
account  of  my  visit  to  Guadeloupe  fell  into  the 
hands  of  Air.  Paul  Loiseaux,  of  Loiseaux  Broth- 
ers, the  New  York  publishers.  Air.  Loiseaux  is  an 
earnest  Christian  man  of  French  origin.  He  was 
so  impressed  that  something  ought  to  be  done  at 
once  to  take  the  Gospel  to  the  French  West  Indies 
that  he  was  seriously  considering  taking  a trip  to 
them  himself,  though  he  was  well  advanced  in 
years.  This,  his  friends  strenuously  opposed, 
thinking  it  would  not  be  wise  for  a man  of  his  age 
to  undertake  such  a journey.  Aleanwhile,  hearing 


THE  FEENCH  ISLANDS 


191 


of  a very  enthusiastic  young  French  convert  in 
Canada,  Mr.  Loiseaux  sent  him  a copy  of  this 
Record.”  The  young  man  was  Mr.  Louis  Ger- 
main. 

Mr.  Germain  felt  at  once  that  the  knowledge  of 
the  open  door  and  of  the  need  was  a call  to  him  to 
enter  the  one  and  help  supply  the  other.  He 
started  immediately  for  New  York  to  consult  with 
Mr.  Loiseaux  and,  soon  after,  took  passage  for 
Guadeloupe,  taking  with  him  a quantity  of  tracts 
and  other  Gospel  literature.  Mr.  Germain  went 
as  an  independent  worker  under  the  direction  of  no 
Mission  Board  but  supported  by  a few  friends  of 
French  origin  who  were  interested  in  his  work. 

It  was  interesting  to  note  the  leadings  of  the 
Spirit  of  God  in  this  matter.  He  had  used  a repre- 
sentative of  the  American  Bible  Society  to  call  a 
native  of  Switzerland  from  Porto  Rico  and  a na- 
tive of  France  from  Canada  to  enter  Guadeloupe 
and  help  supply  the  spiritual  need.  These  men 
met,  became  of  one  mind,  and  devoted  their  whole 
time  to  the  circulation  of  the  Bible  and  Christian 
literature  in  Guadeloupe  and  Martinique. 

Some  time  after  the  outbreak  of  the  war  in  1914, 
clerical  influence  caused  these  two  workers  to  be 
expelled  from  the  Islands  on  the  trumped-up 
charge  of  being  German  sympathizers  or  spies. 
Mr.  Germain  being  physically  unfit  could  not  enter 
the  French  army  and  Mr.  Ruga  being  French 
Swiss  was  from  the  first  sympathetic  with  the 


192  CRUSADIlsG  Ds  THE  WEST  INDIES 


cause  of  the  Allies.  Owing  to  the  troublous  times, 
it  seemed  best  for  the  time  not  to  attempt  to  con- 
tinue the  work  after  the  expulsion  of  Messrs.  Ger- 
main and  Ruga;  nor  to  trouble  the  French  Govern- 
ment to  look  into  the  matter  of  their  unjust  treat- 
ment Nearly  twenty  thousand  copies  of  the 
Scriptures  had  been  sold  during  the  four  years  of 
Bible  Society  activity  there.  A petition  was  sent  to 
the  American  Bible  Society  at  this  time  signed  by 
more  than  Mty  residents  of  Guadeloupe  appealing 
through  the  Society  to  the  various  Mission  Boards 
of  America  to  establish  a Protestant  mission  in  the 
Island.  Although  the  matter  was  put  before  the 
Foreign  Mission  Boards  at  the  time  none  have,  as 
yet,  been  able  to  respond  and  Martinique  and  Gua- 
deloupe are  still  without  a Protestant  missionary. 
Now  that  the  war  is  over  we  have  no  longer  any 
reasonable  excuse  for  not  responding  to  this  appeal 
for  help. 


XIV 


OBSERVATIONS 

CONSIDERING  the  extent  of  territory  in 
the  Western  Hemisphere  over  which 
Spanish  is  spoken,  we  ought  to  be  a bilin- 
gual people.  At  any  rate,  more  of  our  young  peo- 
ple, and  older  ones  for  that  matter,  might  with 
profit  take  up  the  study  of  Spanish.  As  Spanish 
is  spoken  over  a greater  extent  of  territory  in  this 
hemisphere  than  is  English,  a knowledge  of  Span- 
ish more  than  doubles  the  possible  field  of  oppor- 
tunity and  usefulness. 

If  our  high  school  and  college  graduates,  and 
teachers  who  have  been  taking  Latin,  would  only 
begin  to  read  Spanish,  they  would  be  surprised  to 
find  how  quickly  they  would  come  to  understand 
it.  Then  instead  of  losing  their  Latin,  as  most  do, 
they  would  with  a minimum  of  effort  transfer,  as 
it  were,  their  knowledge  of  Latin  to  the  living  and 
useful  language. 

To  those  who  have  not  had  Latin  in  their  school 
courses  let  me  say  that  Spanish  is,  perhaps,  the 
most  easy  of  the  modern  languages  for  the  be- 
ginner. It  is  phonetic  and  when  once  the  sounds 
of  its  twenty-six  letters  have  been  mastered,  to- 

193 


194  CBUSADING  IN  THE  WEST  INDIES 


gether  with  a few  simple  rules  of  accent,  progress 
is  assured.  The  real  difficulties  of  the  Spanish 
language  come  later.  Spanish  might  be  called  an 
emotional  language.  It  has  an  emphatic  arrange- 
ment of  words  in  the  sentence.  To  put  it  roughly, 
the  most  important  word  is  placed  first,  the  word 
of  second  importance  last,  and  the  other  words 
and  modifying  groups  anywhere  in  between  these, 
arranged  according  to  their  relative  importance. 
As  with  English,  the  niceties  of  the  language  are 
only  mastered  by  constant  companionship  with  the 
best  people  and  best  books.  A mastery  of  this 
emphatic  arrangement  is  not  necessary  to  an  un- 
derstanding of  the  language  or  an  appreciation  of 
it ; nor  to  speak  it  in  a way  to  make  one’s  self  under- 
stood. Having  mastered  the  simple  pronunciation 
and  accent  one  can  begin  at  once  to  use  all  that  he 
learns.  Later,  gradually,  as  a result  of  association 
with  the  people  and  reading  their  literature,  he  will 
find  himself  thinking  in  Spanish  in  the  Spanish 
way. 

It  is  worth  while  to  take  pains  to  get  started 
right  In  Spanish  pronunciation.  Some  of  the  let- 
ters are  pronounced  near  enough  like  the  English 
equivalents  for  many  people  to  take  it  for  granted 
that  they  are  the  same;  hence  they  always  retain 
a distinctly  foreign  pronunciation,  which  Is  unde- 
sirable and  decidedly  unnecessary.  The  “t”  and 
“ d ” are  pronounced  by  touching  the  tongue 
lightly  to  the  ends  of  the  teeth.  The  “ b ” is  less 


OBSEEVATIONS 


196 


explosive  than  ours  and  the  ''  v is  formed  with 
the  lips  instead  of  with  the  lower  lip  and  upper 
teeth  as  in  English.  Finally,  but  not  least  in  im- 
portance, the  vowels  always  have  the  same  length, 
like  the  duration  of  a note  in  music.  They  may  be 
stressed  by  accent,  but  they  are  not  lengthened, 
and,  above  all,  not  shortened  at  the  end  of  the 
word ; for  instance,  in  the  word  Gracias  ” 
(‘'  thanks  *')  the  last  “ a should  be  pronounced  as 
fully  as  the  first,  though  the  first  receives  the  ac- 
cent. 

This  is  not  a treatise  on  Spanish  Grammar  but  if 
I can  drop  a word  here  that  will  help  some  pro- 
spective student  to  take  pains  in  laying  the  foun- 
dations, it  will  be  worth  while.  Where  we  for- 
eigners sin,  perhaps,  most  frequently  and  most 
grievously  in  pronunciation  of  Spanish  is  in  the 
shortening  and  slurring  of  the  final  syllables. 
Frequently  one  hears  a foreigner,  who  has  become 
thoroughly  conversant  with  the  language  and 
actually  fluent  in  it  as  far  as  readiness  of  vocab- 
ulary is  concerned,  spoil  an  otherwise  good  dis- 
course by  the  defects  of  which  I have  just  spoken, 
when  the  correct  habit  could  have  been  so  easily 
acquired  in  the  beginning. 

It  is  unfortunate  that  the  West  India  Islands 
are  not  better  known  to  the  outside  world.  There 
seems  to  be  a prevailing  opinion  that  they  are  op- 
pressively hot  and  unhealthy  and  that  navigation 
among  them  is  very  dangerous.  This  impression 


196  CRUSADING  IN  THE  WEST  INDIES 

is  entirely  wrong.  When  I was  leaving  New  York 
one  July  for  Haiti,  a friend  remarked,  ‘'So  you  are 
going  off  down  into  that  terrible  heat  again.”  “ I 
am  going  to  the  West  Indies  to  get  cool,”  I replied. 
The  fact  is,  the  heat  is  at  no  time  as  oppressive  in 
any  of  the  West  India  Islands  as  are  the  hot  sum- 
mer days  in  some  of  our  northern  cities.  Lying 
as  they  do  in  the  path  of  the  trade  winds  there 
is  always  a breeze  stirring;  and,  although  it  may 
be  hot  in  the  sun,  it  is  comparatively  cool  in  the 
shade.  In  the  months  when  the  trade  winds  arc 
not  blowing  or  in  situations  where  they  are  not 
felt,  the  only  uncomfortably  warm  periods  of  the 
day  are  in  the  morning  while  the  wind  is  changing 
from  a land  to  a sea  breeze  and  in  the  evening 
while  the  process  is  being  reversed.’  During  the 
day,  the  land  becoming  heated  by  the  rays  of  the 
sun  sends  up  rising  currents  of  air,  and  the  place 
of  the  rising  air  is  supplied  by  the  cool  air  rushing 
in  from  the  sea.  During  the  night  the  movement 
of  the  air  is  towards  the  sea ; hence  there  is  a con- 
stant circulation  that  prevents  a condition  of  sultri- 
ness so  common  in  our  land  during  a hot  wave. 

In  Porto  Rico  and  the  Lesser  Antilles  the 
breezes  are  cool  and  refreshing;  but  cannot  be 
called  invigorating.  There  is  very  little  seasonal 
change  of  temperature.  The  difference  in  the  reg- 
istering of  the  thermometer  from  midday  to  mid- 
night of  any  day  being  greater  than  the  difference 
between  the  winter  and  summer  temperatures. 


OBSERVATIONS 


197 


With  Cuba,  however,  this  is  not  the  case.  Cuba  is 
a little  more  to  the  north  and  near  enough  to  the 
Continent  to  be  effected  by  its  changes.  Here  the 
winter  nights  are  at  times  quite  cool,  though  never 
reaching  the  point  where  frost  is  formed.  This 
gives  the  climate  of  Cuba  a more  invigorating 
quality  than  has  that  of  the  other  islands.  The 
greater  part  of  Eastern  Cuba  consists  of  a table- 
land high  enough  above  sea  level  to  have  an  invig- 
orating atmosphere. 

In  Haiti  some  of  the  coast  towns  are  hot  at  cer- 
tain periods  of  the  day.  This  Island  has  the  ad- 
vantage, however,  of  being  so  mountainous  that, 
at  a slight  expense,  an  altitude  can  be  reached  far 
enough  above  sea  level  to  give  the  desired  change, 
when  needed. 

Yellow  fever  has  not  been  epidemic  in  the  West 
Indies  since  the  Americans  cleaned  up  Havana; 
and  Havana  is  still  kept  clean.  The  authorities, 
keeping  up  a constant  fight  against  the  mosquito, 
have  succeeded  in  maintaining  the  health  of  the 
city.  Malaria  is  not  very  common  and  can  gen- 
erally be  avoided  by  avoiding  exposure  at  night  to 
the  bites  of  mosquitos. 

Fleas  and  jiggers  are  a petty  annoyance  in  cer- 
tain localities;  but  proper  vigilance  secures  a cer- 
tain immunity  even  from  these.  The  evenness  of 
the  temperature  and  the  absence  of  sudden  changes 
make  the  climate  of  the  West  Indies  especially 
favorable  for  children  and  aged  persons.  After 


198  CETJSADING  IK  THE  WEST  INDIES 


our  return  with  our  children  from  Porto  Rico  to 
Brooklyn,  we  had  more  illness  in  the  way  of  colds, 
tonsilitis,  etc.,  in  one  year  than  we  had  had  during 
the  five  years  in  the  West  Indies. 

In  travelling  one  needs  to  be  as  careful  as  pos- 
sible not  to  expose  one’s  self  to  tracoma  and  con- 
junctivitis, although  so  little  care  is  taken  by  others 
that  any  attempt  at  self-protection  seems  at  times 
utterly  useless.  In  the  summer  of  1910,  I came 
into  Santiago  de  Cuba  on  the  French  boat  Abd-el- 
Kadr.  There  were  nearly  two  hundred  passengers 
on  board,  Syrians,  whom  the  authorities  in  Porto 
Rico  had  refused  to  allow  to  land.  “ Tracoma,”  I 
heard  the  doctor  say.  Part  of  these  passengers 
disembarked  at  Santo  Domingo.  At  Port-au- 
Prince,  those  whose  eyes  appeared  to  be  in  the 
worst  stage  were  transferred  to  the  large  trans- 
Atlantic  boat  of  the  same  line,  supposedly  to  be 
returned  to  Europe.  I have  no  evidence  that  they 
were  not  landed  at  some  other  port,  either  of  Haiti 
or  the  Dominican  Republic.  I know  that  they 
hoped  to  be.  The  rest  were  taken  to  Santiago  de 
Cuba,  where  all  were  allowed  to  land. 

Going  to  my  hotel,  I was  especially  careful,  be- 
cause of  what  I had  seen  on  the  trip.  I first  dis- 
infected the  wash  basin  with  bicloride  tablets  and 
used  my  own  towel  and  soap.  Shortly  after,  the 
man  who  looked  after  the  room  came  in.  The 
wash  basin  was  of  a kind  quite  common  in  Cuba, 
placed  in  a stand  having  a tank  at  the  back  from 


Observations 


199 


which  the  water  is  drawn  for  washing,  and  a pail 
underneath  for  catching  the  used  water.  The  man 
took  out  the  dirty  water  in  the  pail  and  then 
brought  back  a pail  of  supposedly  clean  water  with 
which  he  filled  the  tank ; afterwards  he  set  the  same 
pail  under  the  basin  to  catch  the  used  water  again. 

Unlike  most  tropical  countries  the  greater  part 
of  the  West  Indies  have  no  poisonous  snakes.  Be- 
ginning with  Cuba  none  are  to  be  found,  I believe, 
till  the  Island  of  Martinique  is  reached.  This 
Island  is  the  home  of  the  famous  “ fer-de-lance,^' 
one  of  the  most  venomous  serpents  to  be  found 
anywhere;  but  even  in  Martinique  this  reptile  is 
reaching  the  point  of  extermination  through  the 
activities  of  the  lively  little  mongoose,  introduced 
from  India. 

I was  interested  in  learning  that  the  rats  and 
quail  of  the  Island  of  St.  Thomas  had  changed 
their  habits  of  life  since  the  introduction  of  the 
mongoose.  This  animal  made  war  on  the  rats  that 
formerly  burrowed  in  the  ground.  The  rats  now 
live  in  the  tops  of  the  cocoanut  trees,  as  the  mon- 
goose cannot  climb.  The  same  is  true,  I was  told, 
of  the  quail.  The  mongoose  is  very  fond  of  the 
eggs  of  quail  and  other  poultry.  The  quails  of  St. 
Thomas  nest  in  the  cocoanut  trees  out  of  reach  of 
the  mongoose. 

In  some  places  scorpions  and  tarantulas  as  well 
as  centipedes  are  to  be  found ; but  one  seldom  hears 
of  their  biting  or  stinging  anyone,  and  I have 


200  CEUSADI^^G  IX  THE  WEST  INDIES 

never  known  of  a case  proving  fatal  or  even  seri- 
ous. 

There  are  may  interesting  forms  of  animal  life 
not  to  be  found  in  the  north,  the  most  notable  and 
abundant  of  which  are  the  many  varieties  of  land 
lizards,  harmless  all,  and  some  of  them  veiy^  pretty, 
having  the  power  of  changing  their  color  to  cor- 
respond with  their  surroundings.  These  lizards 
range  in  size  from  the  little  singing  gecko,  three 
or  four  inches  long,  to  be  found  in  the  houses  of 
Havana  to  the  edible  iguana,  which  grows  to  a 
length  of  three  feet  or  more.  The  smaller  kinds 
feed  upon  insects,  while  some  of  the  larger  seem 
to  be  entirely  vegetarian  in  their  habits.  The 
iguana  is  specially  fond  of  the  young  and  tender 
leaves  of  the  mangrove  trees.  The  smaller  lizards 
may  be  caught  in  the  hands  with  impunity.  After 
capture  they  seem  to  enjoy  having  their  throats 
rubbed  with  the  finger;  though  possibly  they  re- 
main quiet  from  fear.  i\Iy  daughter,  ^lay,  when 
paying  us  a visit  in  Porto  Rico  used  to  spend  much 
time  in  the  garden  among  the  shrubber}-  coaxing 
the  little  fellows  on  to  her  hand  after  which  she 
would  bring  them  into  the  house  to  exhibit  her 
conquests. 

Cuba  possesses  a firefly  that  I have  not  seen 
elsewhere.  It  is  a beetle  with  two  comparatively 
large  brilliant  lights,  one  on  each  side  of  the 
thorax,  the  steady  penetrating  rays  of  which  can  be 
seen  from  quite  a distance,  shining  brightly  as  a 


OBSERVATIONS 


201 


diamond  through  the  darkness  of  the  night.  Boys 
catch  them,  tie  threads  around  them  and  pin  them 
to  their  coat  lapels;  and  young  ladies  for  amuse- 
ment sometimes  put  them  in  their  hair,  from  which 
places  they  continue  to  send  forth  their  penetrat- 
ing rays. 

In  Porto  Rico  the  nights  are  rendered  noisy,  if 
not  musical,  by  the  shrill  whistle  of  a small  frog 
called  from  its  cry  the  “ coqui.''  These  little  ani- 
mals are  peculiar  in  that  the  eggs  do  not  hatch  into 
tadpoles;  but  into  tiny,  active,  sprightly  frogs 
ready  to  get  their  own  living  as  such  from  the  day 
they  come  out  of  the  egg.  If  they  go  through  the 
tadpole  stage  it  is  within  the  skin  of  the  egg  before 
they  are  hatched.  I was  able  to  verify  this  fact 
myself,  securing  some  eggs  that  had  been  deposited 
on  a large  damp  leaf  and  were  just  in  the  process 
of  hatching. 

The  West  India  Islands  are  near  at  hand,  con- 
venient to  reach,  have  a healthy  climate  with  no 
serious  pests  or  drawbacks,  and  are  interesting  in 
a thousand  ways.  Our  commerce  is  mutually  con- 
venient and  necessary.  They  need  our  help.  It  is 
certainly  incumbent  upon  us  to  make  every  effort 
to  take  to  them  the  privileges  which  we  ourselves 
enjoy. 

Some  time  ago  a series  of  articles  appeared  in 
one  of  our  magazines  professedly  written  by  a man 
of  means  who  had  offered  himself  to  the  Church 
for  service  and  who  was  disappointed  to  find  that 


202  CEUSADIM  in  THE  WEST  INDIES 


he  could  not  be  used.  I would  like  to  suggest  to 
such  a person  that  he  devote  himself  to  helping 
supply  Latin  America  with  evangelical,  as  well  as 
other,  helpful  and  uplifting  literature. 

If  the  reader  has  enjoyed  our  tour  through  the 
West  Indies  as  much  as  the  writer,  we  shall  both 
look  forward  with  pleasurable  anticipation  to  a 
longer  trip  that  shall  take  us,  not  only  farther 
afield  but  to  other  countries  in  Latin  America, 
vaster  in  extent;  more  indigenous  in  their  popula- 
tion; more  complex  in  the  problems  presented; 
greater  and  more  magnificent  in  their  physical  fea- 
tures ; more  prodigal  in  natural  resources  and  with 
a much  greater  variety  of  interesting  customs. 
All,  however,  are  just  as  needy  of  our  help,  have 
much  to  give  us  in  return,  and  are  just  as  acces- 
sible, presenting  even  wider  open  doors  of  oppor- 
tunity for  Christian  service  than  the  beautiful 
islands  we  have  just  been  considering.  God  will- 
ing, we  shall  meet  again  in  our  fascinating  work 
of  carrying  the  Bible  to  those  other  neighbors  of 
ours. 


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